welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: at least 21 people have died in the huge wildfires in california and the authorities fear they're about to get worse. the harvey weinstein scandal intensifies, now new york police say they want to speak to one of his accusers. as president trump threatens to decertify the iran nuclear deal, one of its original negotiators defends the agreement. india's border with china isn't as secure as you might think, we visit a remote village on the edge of indian territory. in california's wine country, the national guard, thousands of firefighters and dozens of search and rescue teams and helicopters are now fighting 22 large wildfires.

21 people are confirmed dead, more than 500 are missing, thousands have been left homeless in a series of blazes described as unprecedented in the region. they are now burning an area larger than chicago. and there are worries the changing weather will bring new outbreaks. this report from peter bowes. entire communities completely wiped out. in some areas, the deadly wildfires have left nothing but charred rubble and brick chimneys in their wake. it tore through northern california's wine country and is still burning out of control. this is what the firefighters are facing, one of more than 20 fires burning across several counties. devastation on this scale has never been seen before in this region. more than 3,000 homes and businesses have been destroyed. fire officials say there's more to come, with high winds and tinder—dry vegetation

expected to hamper efforts to quell the flames. there are fears new fires could start at any time. these fires are just literally burning faster than firefighters can run in some cases. so imagine being out there in difficult terrain with miles and miles of fire line and to try to catch up to that and put in hand line and lay hose is very challenging. and fires are spotting and spreading thousands of feet, miles in places. it is difficult to get any kind of containment. the advice to residents is clear and blunt. i can't emphasise it enough to people, if you look at how fast this fire burned and went through places, i think people underestimated how powerful it is. so if you have somewhere to go, go. you do not need to be here. people living in one of the hardest hit counties do not need to be told about the destructive power of this inferno.

they've seen it first—hand. this is, like, apocalyptic it seems. this is so out of the norm. i'm used to southern california, everything is dry, we're used to it. but not in an urban area. all of our pictures are gone. everything's gone. we got a fire pit. it's pretty awful. but we're all healthy and safe and we have to just try and be grateful for that. but it's pretty awful. the cost of the fires will run into tens of billions of dollars, and with the death toll continuing to rise and hundreds of people missing, there's no end in sight to this unfolding catastrophe. peter bowes, bbc news. let's get more now from sonoma and speak to the city's mayor, rachel hundley. just returned from reporting in napa valley. how would you describe it

there? completely devastating, like one of them said, it's apocalyptic. i was on the ground for a couple of days walking through the devastated areas and everything was melted so low, blocks and blocks didn't rise above your knees. people just started to sneak back into see what was left of their houses and they just couldn't believe it. standing there in one of the neighbourhoods, as far as the eye could see, block after block after block after block we re after block after block after block were just reduced to rubble. there are desperately sad tales i know of elderly people only just are desperately sad tales i know of elderly people onlyjust getting out, other people of course not managing to get out in time? that's what we're finding out now in the last couple of days, the death toll is mounting, i'm sorry to say that asa is mounting, i'm sorry to say that as a matter or other fact it has gone up to 2a already. another three

bodies have been found. —— matter of a fact. is one of the deadliest california wildfires ever. what makes this so shocking is most california wildfires you think are backin california wildfires you think are back in the woods and mountains and maybe some rural communities, but this race right into a city and a kmart shopping centre and an rvs fast food restaurant, all these were in the line of fire and were destroyed and write out to these very suburban neighbourhoods. —— arbie's. we hear one of the most historic and beautiful places in the area has been evacuated. what kind of tales are you hearing from people? well, you know, i heard a story of some man staying behind in his neighbourhood and thinking, well, he was a former firefighter and he was hosing down his own home while the fires were burning around him and finally it got so hot he

thought he had to leave and he was driving down the street and he sees two old people disoriented on keynes walking in the midst of this. —— canes. he put them in his car and took off. it's really scary when you think of who didn't make it when you hear stories like that of this serendipity that this guy happened to pick up these old people. it's just frightening. we were hearing that the wind was dropping, i hear now the winds are picking up again and the humidity is going down, that's worse for the fires burning at the moment and it could mean more new ones? yes. ijudge you, i drove back to san jose new ones? yes. ijudge you, i drove back to sanjose in the south bay, i don't know, 60 miles or so —— i tell you. the smoke is so thick even down here. it's really scary. not hear so

much but the fire keeps pressing south. —— not here. these communities don't know if they are a next. thanks very much so much for your time. thank you. goodbye. the wife of hollywood producer harvey weinstein has announced she's leaving him amid a growing storm of allegations of sexual harassment and rape. she described her husband's behaviour as "unforgivable". in los angeles the organisation that oversees the oscars is to hold an emergency meeting to consider its response. and there are new moves from police and prosecutors in new york. he has claimed some of the allegations are "patently false". nick bryant reports. this time last week, harvey weinstein was at the centre of hollywood's in—crowd. but now, he is a virtual outcast, known not for the magnetism of his personality, but what accusers have described as the menace. a—list actresses, to women who just wanted to break into the movie and tv industry, all saying he sexually abused or harassed them, claims he denies.

but now, his wife of ten years has decided to leave him, horrified by what she has been hearing. the british fashion designer georgina chapman described her husband's actions as unforgiveable and said, "my heart breaks for all the women who suffered tremendous pain." the new zealand model zoe brock claims the producer harassed her at the cannes film festival in the late 1990s. harvey walked out of the room, and came back in naked. he came back naked? naked. what did you say? and he said that he wanted a massage, could i give him a massage? and i said no. weinstein claims many sexual encounters were consensual. not according to zoe brock. i hope he's watching. say that to my face, harvey. i would happily stand in a courtroom and testify. happily. tonight, the british model and actress cara delevingne claimed

he harassed her in a hotel room. some of hollywood's leading men have also distanced themselves from a friend who gave them their big breaks. george clooney described weinstein's behaviour as indefensible. so how's your lady? ben affleck, who made his name in the weinstein movie good will hunting, said he was angry. his co—star matt damon said he was sick to his stomach, and said he had never seen this kind of behaviour, or been part of an attempt to suppress stories about it in the past. this is the new york headquarters of the weinstein company, which sacked its co—founder on sunday. it's said to be considering a name change. the company faces the same questions as the industry as a whole. did it protect him? did it enable him?

was this an open secret, that friends and colleagues simply chose to ignore? those who worked with him speak of his immense power, and ca reer—breaking influence. if you had been an actress who — let's say harvey had groped your breasts while you were supposed to be auditioning for him, what are you going to do? you're not going to go to the police. they're not going to take that seriously. you're not going to call a journalist, because at that point harvey had the whole media world in his pocket, and no—one was going to go up against harvey weinstein. there is only a downside to reporting it, ie, harvey's going to destroy your career. there's no upside to doing that. why is anyone going to do that? bafta has suspended weinstein from its membership. the hosts of the oscars are now considering taking action. his beloved red carpet, the place where he used to parade his power, for now at least seems out of bounds. nick bryant, bbc news, new york. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. president trump has now said he can envisage a new trade pact with canada that

might exclude mexico. at the white house with canada's prime minister, justin trudeau, mr trump said american workers had to be protected. mexico has warned such a deal would damage cross—border relations, including cooperation in the war on drugs. the united nations has accused the burmese security forces of a systematic policy of brutal expulsion of the muslim rohingya minority. it says attacks against the rohingya, destruction of their homes, crops and livestock, mean any return for the refugees to normal life in rakhine state is almost impossible. a study of two vaccines for the ebola virus has found they can both protect against the fever for at least a year. the research, in the new england journal of medicine, found at least 60% of 1,500 patients developed antibodies. ebola killed more than eleven—thousand people in an outbreak in west africa in 2014. pope francis says roman catholic teaching must contain a prohibition on the death penalty. 0n the 25th anniversary

of the catechism of the catholic church, the pope said capital punishment is inadmissible because it denies the possibility of redemption. later this week, donald trump is expected to announce whether he'll decertify the iran nuclear deal. mr trump has described the agreement, internationally negotiated and in place for two years, as the worst deal ever. but catherine ashton, one of the original negotiators, says the agreement is doing what it set out to, limit iran's stockpiles and nuclear ambitions. she's urging washington to leave it intact. it's really important to let diplomacy work sometimes. and the agreement does what it says, and therefore it should be allowed to continue. there are plenty of other issues which need the energy of the united states and other nations to really try and make us more safe and secure.

baroness ashton there, and her position was supported earlier this month by both mr trump's defence secretary and america's most senior military officer. there was also this, earlier today, from republican congressman ed royce, addressing the house of representatives foreign affairs committee. as flawed as the deal is, i believe we must now enforce the hell out of it. let's work with allies to make certain that international inspectors have better access to possible nuclear sites, and we should address the fundamental shortcoming as our allies have recognised. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: lights, camera, aktion! why have english novels set in cornwall been a hit tv series for decades in germany? parts of san francisco least

affected by the earthquake are returning to life. but in the marina area where most of the damage was done, they're more conscious than ever of how much has been destroyed. in the 19 years since he was last here, he's gone from being a little—known revolutionary to an experienced and successful diplomatic operator. it was a 20 lb bomb that exploded on the fifth floor of the grand hotel, ripping a hole in the front of the building. this government will not weaken. democracy will prevail. it fills me with humility and gratitude to know that i have been chosen as the recipient of this for most honour. this catholic nation held its breath for the men they call the 33. and then... bells told nationwide to announce the first rescue and chile let out an almighty war. this is bbc news.

the latest headlines... at least 2a people have died in wildfires in northern california and hundreds more are reported to be missing. the harvey weinstein scandal intensifies — now new york police say they want to speak to one of his accusers. there's been a frightening rise in acid attacks in britain in the past few years, and there are plans to restrict the sale of corrosive substances. attacks are all too familiar, of course, in several other parts of the world. in bangladesh but a change of law has led to a dramatic decline. the bbc‘s global health correspondent tulip mazumdar has been to meet bangladeshi women who've survived attacks, and are now trying to raise global awareness. and just to warn you, some of their injuries are very severe. these women were expected to run and hide from the world after they were attacked with acid. today, though, they‘ re doing the exact opposite,

but it's been a long and painful process for them to get to this point. i put lipstick on my lips and i changed my hairstyle. so really looking nice. nahar was 15 when she rejected the advances of a teenage boy in bangladesh. then one night, he came to her house and doused her in acid. after my attack, i started my life off. i had to go back to my studies, but now i'm more confident and i think i cannot change my face, but i can change my life. this is your dress, it's beautiful. sonali was just two weeks old when she was splashed with acid as she slept between her parents, that was over a dispute about land. disfiguring a girl is seen as robbing her of her most valuable asset, her beauty.

bangladesh has made some progress, the government there has put restrictions on the sale of acid which has helped reduce the number of attacks to fewer than 100 every year. but countries like india, pakistan, columbia and uganda continue to see hundreds of cases annually and most attacks still go unreported. the uk is also tightening controls on acid sales after a sharp rise in cases here. more than 400 have been reported in less than a year, these were mostly criminal gangs attacking men. with the help of actionaid uk, these women are standing up and standing proud, showing the world that they are strong and they are defiant. translation: i have come so far after such a devastating attack. we didn't lose hope. we didn't hide in the house.

we want other women to see us and be inspired. tulip mazumdar, bbc news, london. only a few weeks ago, the media in china and india were full of talk of war, amidst a standoff at a disputed border area in the himalayan region. you may remember, there was some eye—balling, jostling and trespassing, before both countries eventually decided to pull troops back. butjust how tense are relations along the indian—chinese border? it is dangerous mountain terrain, with not a single soul in sight. you have to travel for over two days on a dirt track to read each one of india's last villages before the order with china. this is one ofjust 50

families living in this remote hamlet. farming is the only source of income. there is no internet nor phone connection. the nearest place to purchase household goods is five hours away. popping across the border into china is the easy option. translation: there is a lot of development out there and unlike here they have roads and infrastructure. their government has constructed homes for each family living on the border. every second family in this village has a relative on the other side, in china, and some get to meet them once in a while. what is less unusual for them is to see chinese troops at least once a year inside indian territory.

this man has seen this with this own eyes. he works as a guide and translator. translation: i met chinese soldiers almost 100 metres inside the indian border and they asked me how many troops were nearby. isaid 300. they went back a few hours later. with the outbreak of fighting... india and china have a long—standing border dispute and the countries even went to full—scale war in 1962. the stand—off was resolved peacefully but only after two months of intense media hype. the reality on the ground is very different for these villages. china is not foreign to them, it is family.

girls will be allowed to join the boy scouts of america from next year. families have campaigned for years to see girls admitted to an organisation which has existed for 100 years. some see it as an attempt to stop falling numbers in the us. scout leaders say it's a step forward. i think today shows the world that the boy scouts of america is moving forward and moving beyond some of the stereotypes we have had in the past — that we were not interested in moving on nor serving a family. we are interested in serving the youth of the families in this community across northern virginia, dc, maryland down to the virgin islands where we have young people in our programme. it is a great day that we will be able to serve more young people in what we do.

that is what we are all about. that is what we want to do. they are quintessentially english romantic novels set in the rugged cornwall countryside — and for 20 years they've been a fixture of sunday night viewing as a hit tv series in germany. and german fans of the cornish author rosamunde pilcher are coming in droves to see the locations in the series — adding tens of millions of pounds to the tourist industry too. here'sjon kay. it is one of germany's biggest shows. an everyday tale of cornish folk. and here is the result. every week, hundreds of fans turn up on a pilcher pilgrimage to visit locations they have seen on tv. this house near padstow has featured in 20 films. linda, her mother, and aunt come from dortmund.

they love the romantic storylines and are feeling quite overwhelmed. we saw the scenes when someone was heartbreaking and crying and then they fell in love together. it is incredible to be here. last year, pilcher tourism brought £50 million into the economy. 80% of the tour groups now come from germany. they put in lots of fake flowers... the real—life owner cannot believe her luck. we're booked already for next year and it is helping keep the roof on the house. it makes that much of a difference? it does. what would your message be to rosamunde pilcher herself? thank you! just outside newquay they are shooting the 120th movie. there is no sign of them stopping.

as well as this one, there is another pilcher film being shot in cornwall at the moment and a third about to start. the films are all made in german by germans for germans, but about cornwall. all of our names are english and everything is english but we speak german. what do you think british people will make of this? i don't think many of them know it is happening. they would think we are crazy. rosamunde pilcher is 93 and recovering from a fall. but she is said to be delighted her stories are benefiting her beloved cornwall. this is what she is so proud of, that she is putting back some sort of money back into the place that she was born. pilcher‘s writing may have been underrated sometimes. but there is no underestimating its value now. space experts say an asteroid

the size of a house will have a "close miss" with earth later on. it will hurtle past at a distance of about 26,000 miles and travel within the moon's orbit. scientists from nasa, say although there's no risk to earth this time, it's a chance to test asteroid warning systems. scientists say planning ahead is vital — and they are trying to work out what they could do if an asteroid were found to be on a collision course. it seems to be approximately the same size as the rock that exploded over russia in 2013. much more on all of the news any time on the bbc website. you can reach me and the team on twitter. hello, good morning.

the weather is much quieter now, becoming cooler, more on the way on thursday. for a while on wednesday we had severe weather in cumbria. heavy cloud, low cloud as well producing a lot of rain, feeding into the rivers as water drained down from higher ground. it was on the highest ground that we had some of the heaviest rain. it was localised but heavy for a while on a thick and active weather front. as that swept south eastwards, the cloud thinned and narrowed, and the front weakens. we are into a flat ridge, if you like, for today as this deepening low pressure is waiting in the wings. quiet day on thursday. a little chilly out there in the morning, a couple of mist patches in the south. a lot of dry weather and sunshine as well.

as you had further north, the wind is a bit stronger and scotland and northern ireland in particular. there will be more cloud here from the word go and a few showers, mainly around the highlands and islands. heavy with showers for the northern isles. winds will be gusty and scotland, picking up in northern ireland. a bit more cloud around here from time to time. the threat of rain in the far north—west. patchy cloud in england and wales but more sunshine than we had yesterday. fresher air but which will be similar to what we had on wednesday and that should be a decent day for most. those weather systems arrive in the north—west overnight, thickening cloud, bringing out rain and wind will pick up as well. wettest weather over the hills. more rain over western scotland pushing into cumbria in northern wales. further south and east gets sunshine with temperatures close to 20 degrees. warm air across much of the uk and as we head into the weekend we will draw up some

warmer airfrom iberia, from biscay into the central and southern parts of the uk. a difference in temperature as you can see. either side of the weather front which, having moved southwards will start to move north again on saturday. initially, not much rain on that at all. a band of cloud, drizzly rain over the hills it may turn wet in the north—west later in the day but warming up to the south and the two temperatures reaching 19, 20 degrees. hearing continues on the north—west of the uk. northern ireland and over the hills of western scotland, not quite as warm here but further south, get some sunshine and particularly in the south—east where it could be 22 or 23. this is bbc news, the headlines: more than 200 fire engines and firefighting crews from across america are being rushed to california to help contain 22 wildfires raging over an area larger than the city of chicago. fire officials say the death toll has climbed to 2a, but hundreds of people are missing. the organisation which runs the oscars says it will meet this weekend to decide what action to take on what it's described

as repugnant allegations against the film producer harvey weinstein. he's facing a growing number of accusations that he harassed and sexually assaulted a number of women. the spanish prime minister, mariano rajoy, has given the leader of the catalan authorities five days to clarify officially whether the region has declared independence from spain. if he confirms it or doesn't answer he'll be given an ultimatum to revoke the declaration.