america's worst in modern times, say they have found more weapons at the home of the man they said carried out the attack. a local sheriff told journalists they seized 18 guns, explosives, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. the gunman was named as 64—year—old wealthy retired accountant stephen paddock. it is claimed he used an automatic weapon to fire on crowds from a las vegas hotel, killing 59 people and injuring more than 500 more. as police stormed his hotel room, he killed himself. president trump has appealed for unity and peace among americans, in response to what he called the pure evil of the shootings in las vegas. mr trump said the nation was joined together in sadness, shock and grief. he later led a minute's silence in memory of the victims at the white house. now on bbc news, it is time for hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk, i'm sarah montague.

there have always been supporters of the far right in germany, but not since the war have they had so many representatives in parliament. nearly six million people voted for afd in september's election, that will make it the third—biggest party in the bundestag. but, within days of its stunning electoral success, its co—leader declared she was out. the party was too anarchic, too focused on russia, discrediting its moderate members, and would be ineffective in opposition. my guest on hardtalk is the afd's deputy leader, beatrix von storch. with more than 90 members in parliament, what difference will they make to germany? beatrix von storch,

welcome to hardtalk. why do you think your former co— leader left to set up her own group in parliament? well, actually we don't care about it, because we have been given responsibility by our voters, and they expect us to come up voters, and they expect us to come up with a solid and a constructive opposition in this parliament, and this is what we are about to set up at this very moment. so we are concentrating on this. we have not yet found in our group completely, we have voted into office two spokesman and four other people, and there are others to come. so this is

what we concentrate on. we know that people expect the afd to focus on what has been handed over to them, and that is the responsibility to set up an opposition group in this parliament, because there hasn't been any for the last years. you say that you don't care, just after the election your co— leader walked out. yes, if someone is leaving, you can't stop them. she declared her decision. we recognise it, and then we kept on going on what has been... what is our duty now, and this is to settle our group and to come to work in the parliament. that is what we are doing. what she says that it is an anarchic party, that you can't offer a credible alternative government, that moderate members are discredited. do you recognise what she is saying that? well, we recognise that we gained almost 6 million votes. 1 million from the

former christian democratic union, so former christian democratic union, so from angela merkel‘s party, 500,000 from the social democrats, 500,000 from the social democrats, 500,000 from the left, and lots of voters who have been not voting for the last election. so this is what we see. we know what the people want. they want a shift in the policy. and it is now upon us to put this shift into reality. but you have been in the strange situation of losing a leader before, because he, like frauke petry, suggested the party had changed. two years ago, the leader suggested the party was anti—western, openly as xenophobic, and used xenophobic rhetoric. you know, we can talk about our programme. i know that is very difficult for you and all the others to talk about a programme. we just declare, for example, that islam does not belong to germany. we are in favour of the religious freedom,

of course, but islam is claiming political power, and this is what we deny. and we do not want to do compromises with the religion claiming political power, because in oui’ claiming political power, because in our constitution, and with our values, it is not comfortable to have a religion claiming political power. this is what islam is doing very clearly, because sharia is a pa rt very clearly, because sharia is a part of islam, and sharia was not only organising that personal belief ofa only organising that personal belief of a person, but it is also regulating the civil law, and a punishing law, and the public law, and it is not only about religion. punishing law, and the public law, and it is not only about religionlj wa nt and it is not only about religion.” wa nt to and it is not only about religion.” want to get onto those policies in a moment, and you immediately reach fort islam, and we will come back to that. but it is partly because of your policies that people are saying that... questioning what the party stands for. because, of course, the afd started off as an anti— greek bailout. that is what the alternative was. and now people are suggesting that it has been captured

by the far right. 0scar mittermeier, germany's leading academic expert on political parties, said that you have increasing connections to right—wing extremism. have increasing connections to right-wing extremism. yes, there are all kinds of experts, and all those experts said the euro rescue policy would work out. all those experts predicted they would never be a brexit, and all those experts predicted they would never be a president trump. so all those experts somehow got it wrong dramatically. 0k, experts somehow got it wrong dramatically. ok, but are you attracting more right wing extremists? we are attracting all those people who say we do not want to have unlimited numbers of uncontrolled illegal migrants coming to our country, without even showing their passport, and just coming into oui’ their passport, and just coming into our country. this is what we do not want. we want to have control over oui’ want. we want to have control over our borders. we want to take on migrants, yes, but we don't want to ta ke migrants, yes, but we don't want to take in unlimited numbers of illegal migrants. but you haven't answered

my question. you haven't answered my question, which is that, if the party gaining more support, and having increasing ties with right—wing extremists? having increasing ties with right-wing extremists? no, of course not. i mean, they are still voting for other parties. all those parties are still there. so this is not what we are going for. we are addressing a problem, and i know it is very ha rd a problem, and i know it is very hard for you to talk with me about those issues, because you are just going always the one side and saying, look, you are attracting those people and you at attracting those people and you at attracting those people. what we do, we have a very clear programme. we come up with this programme, we presented this programme to the people, and this programme to the people, and this programme to the people, and this programme has been voted, has gained over1 million votes from those former christian democratic union voters. so those who voted for angela merkel in 2015. last time, this time... i want to get onto the policies, but people who voted for you also need to know what you stand for. so you have the number of mps elected was 94. among them, among your new mps, these are the people

that presumably you are proud to represent your party in the bundestag, you have a judge who has criticised germany's cult of shame over world war two, and used nazi terms to condemn the create —— creation of mixed races. you have a man who described the holocaust is a myth, a dogma the pro from research. you have a man on a watchlist of the german intelligence service because of his support for the extreme right wing identity very and movement. are these the mps who are proud of? no, we have 93 members now which make pa rt we have 93 members now which make part of ourgroup, we have 93 members now which make part of our group, and they are coming from all the different states. and there are some who have, of course, debates in the public in the last month, that is true. i don't deny it. you can go into every detail, and then look closely. what have they said, and what have they come up with. peter, for example, it

is ridiculous what is brought against him. we have those talks also within our group, i don't say we don't have those talks. so you are quite satisfied that all those mps... you are quite happy for them to represent the afd, everyone of those 93 remaining?” to represent the afd, everyone of those 93 remaining? i am very happy the german parliament gets back in opposition voice, because there has not been anyone, any opposition boys, and the last years. this is very important, and what we can see is that we already, only by existing, and only by being a member of the parliament now, the public debate is shifting. because in germany they tried to push us down, and claimed us right wing i don't know what, the whole time. and this does not function, because people see that this country is facing severe problems, severe problems, and this is not... it is not about one quote of one member which has not been good, or even bad. this is not been good, or even bad. this is not causing a problem for our country. lets turn to what the

alternative fur deutscheland looks like. what are your policies? you wa nt to like. what are your policies? you want to close down mosques? no, we wa nt to want to close down mosques? no, we want to make very clear that we do not want to have islam claiming political power in our country. we are very much in favour of religious freedom. i said that already. and a mosque is where muslim people are practising their beliefs. so that is 0k. what we know from our secret services is that we basically, and every mosque has problems, because they are preaching very often in a language which we don't understand, which is arabic. and they are preaching against our values, our constitution, our people, our culture. and this is what has to be looked at very closely. we know that from our sources, . . . looked at very closely. we know that from our sources,... what are you suggesting that they are preaching, that you are not happy with?m suggesting that they are preaching, that you are not happy with? it is not me saying, it is our secret services saying. they know that there is very much going against our

culture. they are preaching in favour of sharia law, and this is something we asked them to declare. we have lots of integrated muslim people in our society, even germans. so it is not a problem with muslims as... believing... as a believer, as as... believing... as a believer, as a person who is believing. but we ask them to declare that sharia is, for example, not... they are not sticking to sharia law. we ask them to distance themselves from sharia law, and what we know is that sharia law, and what we know is that sharia law is part of islam, but that does not go together, and as long as they are sticking to sharia law, they are going against our constitutions. because, for example... you want no plans of sharia law, even if it isn't in the private matter of somebody who gets married in another country, has an islamic wedding, and then sharia law applies and community, you think that is not

appropriate? we don't think, for example, is appropriate to accept child marriage, for example. this is something that we think, even if they get married in their country, we don't want to have that. that does not go together with our values, and you can't claim religious freedom for all these kinds of practices. but german law and the german constitution already trumped any other law. this is what. .. what we trumped any other law. this is what... what we asked them to do is to publicly declare that they do not stick to sharia law. and we have got islamic organisations within germany, one is publicly saying that our local law is not binding for them, directly. it is only valid for them, directly. it is only valid for them because the islamic law, which is above all, is telling them to stick to our law. so do you want individual muslims to denounce sharia law? we want both. i mean, we

wa nt sharia law? we want both. i mean, we want those organisations to declare that sharia law is not what they are going for. and of course, persons also. but maybe we start with the organisations, because they are speaking not for all of them, that is another problem, but at least for some. and you have made it... it shouldn't be so complicated. you have made it clear that you would hand the burqa, but you also say that public servants, speakers, students, shouldn't wear the headscarf. does that also apply to for example nuns who wear veils? no, it is not, and i think we maybe have some different point. this is still a christian country. everyone is free to live his own beliefs, but we don't want to have in our public schools and in public are links scarves or niqabs or burqas. so a

nun who is teaching, can she wear a veil? yes. but a woman who perhaps has a scarf that covers less of her hairand head, but has a scarf that covers less of her hair and head, but because she is muslim, she can't. we don't want to have that in our public schools, no. why not, why not? what is the difference? the difference is that this is not a muslim country. that is the difference. and everyone who wa nts to is the difference. and everyone who wants to live in a muslim country, and wants to live under sharia law, is welcome to do so, but not in germany. but can i ask, if you are satisfied with a nun who is wearing a veil, what difference does it make to you if somebody has their head covered for different reasons? weed... i mean, this is a political line we have, and we don't want to go and move... what we can see, i am living in berlin, iam in berlin right now. what we can see here in the street is that it is an ongoing process that those who have not want

any kind of scarf or anything in the past as muslims are now doing so. even at school, even the young children, even the young girls. so we are seeing this as a process, and it is ongoing. and we don't want to start this process. you don't like any signs of someone practising the islamic faith in germany, is that it? no, we say we don't want to have it in public. you make the point that this is the history of germany, that it is going against it. one of the party's leaders said on the second of september, if the french are proud of the emperor, we have the right to be proud of the achievements of the german soldiers in two world wars. now... cani german soldiers in two world wars. now... can i ask you, are you proud of your grandfather? he was hitler's finance minister. no, i am not

proud. i know that my grandfather personally was guilty. very much of it. i know it. and i don't think that's the way we should debate it. and i wasn't very happy about all those kinds of comments. the comments he made, others have done that before. eisenhower has said the same thing. i do think it was helpful to repeat what they have said. ithink helpful to repeat what they have said. i think what he wanted to say is that not every single soldier was a murderer. but of course, there were. . . a murderer. but of course, there were... the correct word in english, i don't know how to say, it is unforgettable what has been done under the government by german soldiers. the only thing he wanted to say is that not every single boy who served there was a brutal murder of. but he's not alone in making comments about the second world war

that other people in germany find incredibly uncomfortable. the leader of the party in the eastern state said that germany should stop atoning for its nazi past. he described returning to, he described a monument to murdered jews as a shame. there was a huge amount of criticism from people who said that the party had shown its true face with these anti—semitic and utterly in human words. i think the point about all these quotes is one thing —— inhumane. you are wondering how it is that the afd has gained so much power. we are in 13 out of 16 regional parliaments now, the third biggest group in the german parliament. this is because this country is facing severe problems. people really think about the chancellor is moving our country

into a position which is causing existential problems. this is what we focus on. this is what we are addressing. yes, there are sometimes people who are saying stupid things. nobody denies it. probably there we re nobody denies it. probably there were some other stupid thing that will be said in future, i can't say that. but the thing is that we are still the third biggest party, and people have now realised that it makes no sense to only come out... you well know... i want to into because you make the point, you're quite right to other third biggest party, but you also know you've lost support after those comments. and if people... we would be even bigger without those comments. you are com pletely without those comments. you are completely correct. the thing is that within the 25 minutes of this debate, you are spending 20 minutes on three orfour debate, you are spending 20 minutes on three or four people's quotes. you are not talking about politics.

they are seniorfigures you are not talking about politics. they are senior figures in your party, which is why i refer to them. let's talk about your policy on immigration, this is one of the central themes. you bring up islam, but you said in the manifesto that you want to control immigration from within the eu. do you want to shut the country's borders? we want to shut the country's borders for illegal migration, this is very clear. basically everyone wants that except maybe the greens. they are crazy. all the rest want to close down the borders. no other country in the world is taking in an unlimited number of illegal migrants coming from... from outside the european union, from africa and the middle east. no other country in the world is following us. it is stupid to do so. we are only addressing this problem, and we are addressing

it because it is one. and the immigrants thatare it because it is one. and the immigrants that are there, what would you do about them? are you planning on kicking people outgrow silly yes, we are planning on kicking out hundreds of thousands of people are those people who have gone through the process. our courts have taken the decision that they have taken the decision that they have no right to stay. so they have to leave under our law and we want to leave under our law and we want to have those people going back immediately. that is true. how are you going to do this? you have 93 members of parliament now, but you have limited influence. the spd party leader has said he is not going to go into coalition because he said they cannot have an extreme right—wing party leading the opposition. how are you going to make the change you want? isn't that funny? shultz is going into

opposition because he doesn't want to lead the government, but rather, the opposition. we have a huge impact, people are talking about it. we will bring back this debate in the parliament because we didn't have this debate in our parliament. we had a chancellor who just decided on her very own to open her borders and let everyone in. there wasn't even a decision, a debate in the parliament. now we have this debate, and now... you are shutting the sta ble and now... you are shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. you are fighting something where there are already immigrants. how are you going to make a difference? nobody wants to go into coalition with you. how are you going to make any change? they are picking up our programme little by little. in 2013, we were claiming the need for legal migration, to have a migration law regulated. this

is what we came up with four years ago. now they are picking it up. then we came up with the idea to stop bringing boats from libya to europe, and rather rescue those people who are in danger in the mediterranean and bring them back to libya. this was brought up by hours in the beginning, and now... other parties are saying they won't work with you. will you work with other people? shawl. if someone is coming up people? shawl. if someone is coming up with a good idea, we will support it. we are not going against the others because of courses of in tobruk, we are focused on our programme. some are picking up our programme. some are picking up our programme. of course we will support it. are you already talking to other parties? no, at the moment, a week ago, we are at the moment establishing our group. we are not yet in talks with other parties. we are proposing that programme, we need an enquiry commission in the

parliament. this has been picked up by the liberals. the social democrats came up with the idea to have a migration law, like canada. we have seen that they are coming up with a programme. if they come to the parliament, we will support it. the governor has said that we should get ready for tough times and we will hound angela merkel. what does it mean? what are you actually going to do? we will have a strong debate, we will ask difficult questions. we will focus on the government and controlling the government, that is our position. 0ur position has to control the government. this has not taken place in the last years. we have had a grand coalition with the greens and the government in the opposition, but not going against the government. not supporting it in major ideas. this is something that would change dramatically. we will

have real debates in our parliament. if you pick up and have the neo—nazi party calling on people to vote for the afd, you are quite relaxed about that? i don't have an impact on other parties. what is clear for us, if someone has been a member of the npd, there is no chance to get membership in the afd. it is different with the christian democratic union. in angela merkel‘s party, it is possible and it has happened. it has been voted by the npd in the parliament. a cdu member is going to the original parliament. this is not possible for us. we have got a very clear line on that. beatrix von storch, thanks very much.

hello. further strong winds at times this week, even the risk of gales as we maintain a very autumnal flavour to our weather. this low pressure system was the wind—maker on monday. it's still producing some strong winds in the far north of scotland and the northern isles as tuesday begins. elsewhere, high pressure building in, winds easing a bit with high pressure building in. with high pressure, most places are going to be dry starting the day, with plenty of sunshine. here's a look at things, eight o'clock in the morning. a few showers dotted about northern and western scotland, driven along quickly on this quite strong wind. far north of scotland, more epseically into the western isles, there could be some gusts early on of about 50—60 mph. one or two showers in the north—west of england, but very few and far between.

for most of us, it'll be a dry start to the day. a good deal of sunshine. a breezy start, though, with temperatures a bit lower than this outside of the large towns and city centres. some of us in single figures as the day begins, but there is that sunshine to compensate. some good sunny spells continuing through the day. just some patchy cloud developing. still a few showers running into western parts of scotland, but most places dry. it's a fresh—feeling breeze, mind you. out of some sunshine, in that breeze, there will be a chill around. temperatures for the most part in the mid—to—low teens. but, actually, not too far away from average for the time of year. tuesday evening, tuesday night, we'll see showers in western scotland merging to give some longer spells of rain in places. winds starting to pick up once again towards the far north of scotland

into 0rkney, a very windy start to wednesday morning. south of this area of rain, we'll see a lot of clear weather going into wednesday morning. quite chilly again under clear skies. some spots into mid, perhaps even low—single figures in the countryside. wednesday brings a band of rain across scotland eventually into parts of northern ireland, mainly north—west england as we go through the day. south of that, we'll hold onto some sunny spells. still be quite breezy, won't be much warmer. and as we go into wednesday night, rain gathering for northern ireland, parts of northern england and wales, as this area of low pressure moving across the uk. parts of scotland seeing it, parts of the far north staying dry, but we are concerned about some of the rain and the impact. it could be quite heavy on wednesday night into thursday morning. coastal gales. and then as the system clears away from southern parts on thursday, it stays quite windy. a cool wind. some gales with showers across eastern parts of the uk. or it could be quite windy

for a time on friday. but by friday, there's another area of high pressure building across the uk. the winds easing, and most places will end the week fine and dry. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. i'm mike embley. our top stories: more weapons are found at the home of the man who carried out america's worst mass shooting of modern times. 59 people were killed, hundreds more injured. the gunman has been named as stephen paddock, who fired on crowds of people from the window of his hotel room before killing himself. a minute's silence is held at the white house as president trump urges the country to stand together. last night, a gunman opened fire on a large crowd. it was an act of pure evil.

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