hello and welcome to bbc news. i'm gavin grey. harvey weinstein has been expelled from the organisation that runs the oscars. the academy said he no longer merited the respect of his colleagues. it follows a series of sexual assault accusations against the producer, including rape — some of which he has denied. mr weinstein has already been fired by the company he founded, denounced by many of the celebrities he launched to stardom, and called "a depraved predator" by his own brother. laura bicker reports from la, where the meeting of the academy has been taking place. the glitzy veneer which has hidden hollywood's darkest secrets has now been peeled back. harvey weinstein was credited with over 81 oscar wins and over 300 nominations, awards which now seem tarnished. this is a key moment for an industry which stands accused of developing a culture which made women feel that exploitation was a price they had to pay to get a job.

harvey's not in the academy because everyone thought he was a nice guy or even played fair. it's because he has been a genius at picking and promoting films and so in that way, he's helped a lot of filmmakers. now he's also proved that he had another life as a sexual predator, and that hurts so many people. harvey weinstein's brother, bob, has today called him sick and a predator. he says they have barely spoken in five years and that he was heartbroken for the women his brother had harmed and hopes he gets the justice he deserves. british actress alice evans is the latest star to claim weinstein propositioned her. they met at the cannes film festival in 2002. she says she asked her to go to a bathroom with him because he wanted to feel her breasts. she said no. she said that: .

the next time they met, she says weinstein ignored her and that she was never considered for one of his films ever again, nor was her husband, the actor ioan gruffudd. harvey weinstein's downfall has been swift. the new york times reported the allegations earlier this month. mr weinstein apologised, but also said he would sue. as the claims continued, mr weinstein was sacked by his own company. and, just days later, 13 more women published their stories in the new yorker magazine, including three accusations of rape — which he strongly denies. there is now at least a realisation in hollywood that if change is to come, simply shrugging or looking the other way is no longer enough. a canadian man kidnapped with his pregnant wife

in afghanistan has been giving distressing details of the five years they spent in captivity. joshua boyle told reporters that from the haqqani network had raped his wife caitlan and murdered one of their children while they were in captivity. he said now they were looking to the future. it will be of incredible importance to my family that we are able to build a secure sanctuary for our three surviving children to call a home, the focus on edification, and to try to regain some portion of the child that they have lost. — childhood. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. a0 people are now confirmed to have died in california's wildfires which have ravaged the state for six days. several hundred more are still missing. strong winds this weekend have brought the fire to new towns, forcing more to evacuate. more than 100,000 have been displaced by the fires so far. kurdish television says an iraqi

government deadline for peshmerga fighters to withdraw from key sites in the disputed city of kirkuk has been extended by 2a hours. kurdish officials earlier said they were preparing to defend their positions in the city in the event of an attack by iraqi forces. there's been heightened tension in the region since last month's independence referendum. the us—backed coalition besieging raqqa in northern syria says that foreign fighters belonging to the islamic state militia must either surrender or be killed. syrian members of is have now left the city in a convoy of buses, leaving only foreign extremists holding out. let's get more on our main story — the oscars organisers expelling harvey weinstein from the academy. entertainmentjournalist kj matthews gave us her reaction to the academy's announcement, and said this could be just the start. today they have done something they

haven't done for 90 years, they have decided to revoke the membership of someone, decided to revoke the membership of someone, harvey weinstein, and only one other person has had their militia provoked and that was because the actor had lent out screeners which was a violation of the academy stand is that they released a statement today basically saying they had no other choice and that his behaviour merited it and they could not have someone be a pa rt they could not have someone be a part of their membership of the academy exhibiting this type of behaviour, and they also said they wa nted behaviour, and they also said they wanted to send a message to those in power who may be exhibiting harvey weinstein like behaviour that those days are over. you know there has been a little push back because people are saying they cannot believe that they still have roman polanski, bill cosby and even woody

allen as members, but yet they have provoked the membership of harvey weinstein. what was what i was going to ask you because there must be one oi’ to ask you because there must be one or two other academy members looking over their shoulder a little bit worried now. yeah, it is an interesting case because with bill cos by, interesting case because with bill cosby, he's been charged. roman polanski as we know he was charged. and yet harvey weinstein has not been charged. although there are investigations now by police department, obviously in london and new york, the sangha will open up cases and investigate more to see if there is something there and he could possibly face charges. but as of today he has not been charged with anything. these are mere allegations by more than 30 women, accusing him of sexual harassment as well as sexual assault. do you think over the coming days, once harvey weinstein has slipped out of the headlines, the academy members could be pursued and expelled as well? exactly. many people are silent.

there are a lot of big actors, especially male actors out there who are silent and have said nothing, people have called their agents and publicist is to try to get a response or see if they will tweak something and there has been cricket, they are silent, and what it is is a watershed moment. women in this country are feeling much more comfortable in stepping up and not remaining silent about what is happening to them with regards to sexual harassment. and there are many people out there who know what they have done and are really afraid right now, backing into a corner, hoping they are not going down. police have launched an investigation after a man died at kempton park racecourse in surrey. it's understood that the man, who was in his 50s, died in the stable yard area of the course after being kicked by a horse. 0rganisers abandoned the meeting just before the penultimate race. tougher prison sentences are being proposed for people convicted of acid attacks in britain. under the plans, anyone repeatedly

caught carrying corrosive substances can expect a minimum 6—month jail term. attacks have more than doubled in the uk in the past five years. there are some disturbing images at the start of alexandra mackenzie's report. acid attacks can have devastating consequences. there were more than 400 in the uk between november 2016 and april this year. we need to try to get water in your eyes. the agony of the aftermath of an acid attack in east london injuly. delivery driverjaved hussain said it melted his motorbike helmet, which saved his face from long—term damage. he is calling for tougher sentencing for those involved. i started screaming. then i realised "that's acid." i was just screaming on the street. crying forwater, like, getting more dry and getting more worse. and i thought "my face has been destroyed." i think he should be punished for that, because he wanted

to destroy somebody‘s identity, destroy somebody‘s face. the government wants to give police more powers to prevent such assaults. i think it's really important that we send out a very strong message that, you know, carrying a corrosive substance in a public place, unless you've got a really good reason to have it, is just totally unacceptable. speak to any victim of an acid attack and they'll be living with lifelong scars. it's absolutely right that we take this as seriously as any knife attack. under the home office proposals, it would be an offence to possess a corrosive substance in public, there would be a ban on the sale of such substances to anyone under 18, and people caught carrying acid twice in public would receive a mandatory minimum 6—month prison sentence if over the age of 18. what it'll do is allow us to bring more charges and convictions when it

comes to carrying these substances, even before they are being used. at the minute, we have to prove the intent, the fact why you're carrying that substance. these proposals look to change that. the home office says victims and survivors are at the heart of everything they're doing to reduce the number of acid attacks. but some say the new proposals just don't go far enough and more needs to be done to bring those responsible to justice. london has been worst affected. and police are being issued with test kits to check the contents of suspicious bottles of liquid. they're also being given protective gloves and water bottles so they can treat victims quickly. together with the proposed new laws, officers hope it'll prevent more attacks. alexandra mackenzie, bbc news. wildfires are continuing to ravage parts of northern california. a0 people have been killed in the past week and many more are missing.

large parts of northern california, including sonoma and napa counties, and the city of santa rosa have been hit. from california, dave lee reports. these fires have choked california, displacing 90,000 people and destroying more than 5,000 buildings. sir, you've got to go! this footage shows a police officer's view on sunday. he was in the city of santa rosa helping terrified residents evacuate. the next day, the city looks like this. we walk and see our neighbourhood, flattened. it looks like a bomb has gone off in our neighbourhood. it's so heartbreaking. the smoky air can be smelt as far as 100 miles away. this is our winemaking facility. the harvest was complete, so all of our grapes were in. 0ver there is our press

and our crush pad with the tanks and that was all outside. obviously, you can see, it's completely destroyed. police are having to deal with looters seeking to capitalise on block after block of empty homes. some of the biggest fires are showing signs of being contained, thanks to the efforts of more than 8,000 firefighters drafted in to help. these firefighters are bracing themselves — weatherforecasts suggests more high winds are on the way. this is already the deadliest wildfire in the state's history and it is not over yet. 0n the line is lynne tolmachoff from the california department of forestry and fire protection, or cal fire. when the indeed forjoining us. we

know now that a0 people are confirmed to have died, is there any indication of how many people are still missing? you know, the last report we has was up with the three a00 folks were still unaccounted for some law enforcement is definitely trying to figure out where they might be or may have happened to them. and how big an area is cal fire now dealing with? you know, we're looking at over 21a,000 acres that have burnt in just the past few days that all of these fires in northern california. and the weather forecast, of course, what took so many by surprise was the speed of the fire, the strong wind back hasn't helped? absolutely, sometimes fires will start easy to put out but u nfortu nately fires will start easy to put out but unfortunately once they get some wind on them, especially the 60 and 80 mph gusts we have seen those carry the fire much more rapidly

than normal. it is what created most of the devastation. rain is said to be on the way but not for a few more days yet. what is the forecast before then? yeah, we are looking at red flag conditions, we are still looking at some winds in the area remaining through tomorrow, once the weather pattern changes, hopefully on monday, the firefighters are cautiously optimistic they will get some more work done and get the containment lines reinforced on these fires. so how many, on a firefighters have been drafted in from different states, but how many firefighters are currently in action? over firefighters are currently in action? 0ver10,000 firefighters are currently in action? over 10,000 firefighters out on the lines right now as we speak. 10,000? is that the biggest operation you have ever known? you know, it's definitely one of the larger counter firefighters we have had for only 16 fires, we have definitely have more fires are inevitably is that many firefighters on it but due to the size of these single fires by themselves, but

large number of firefighters is absolutely necessary. the scale of the damage, we have pictures and they are indescribable almost, and they are indescribable almost, and the number of people having to be evacuated is truly amazing. absolutely, over 100,000 people evacuated and then of course the worst pa rt evacuated and then of course the worst part of all is the number of people who have been killed due to these fires so the recovery and the cost of that is just tremendous, not evenin cost of that is just tremendous, not even in the dollar damage but the loss of life. indeed, we wish you and your colleagues all the best. thank you. you're watching bbc news. the latest headlines: you're watching bbc news — the latest headlines: the movie producer harvey weinstein has been expelled from the film academy that runs the oscars, over allegations of rape and sexual assault. a canadian hostage released by afghan militants, speaks about his family's ordeal after nearly five years in captivity. scottish labour has raised concerns

over increases in primary school class sizes. they say the number of pupils being taught in classes of 30 or more has gone up a0% in five years. ministers say they're spending almost 90 million this year to make sure schools have enough teachers. andrew black reports. this is as listening to all the words. improving education is part of the top priority for scotland's pa rt of the top priority for scotland's part of that is making sure classes have the right number of pupils and ministers are spending tens of millions of pounds of this you're alone to help make sure there are enough teachers in classrooms. but when it comes to education, at labour aren't convinced things are getting better and on the issue of class sizes, they say that their concerns have now been backed up by officialfigures. concerns have now been backed up by official figures. the

concerns have now been backed up by officialfigures. the party says that in 2011, the number of children in primary classes of 30 or more stood at more than 31 point 5000. —— 31,000 500. that has increased to more than aath hours and 500 —— a0 a500 in 2016. overall, there has been a huge increase. scottish schools now have some of the biggest class sizes anywhere in the developed world. that cannot be good for education. it is a betrayal of pa rents, for education. it is a betrayal of parents, a betrayal of pupils and also teachers. the education secretary says he is confident the right changes are being made. class sizes are of course important which is why the government has invested to maintain the pupil teacher ratio in scottish education and we have also legislated to reduce class

sizes or primary one pupils to make sure our youngest pupils get off to the best start possible in full—time education. further improvements may need more cash will stop ministers are considering using new powers to boost public services like education by raising income tax. labour said they need to get on with doing that right now. a woman who was gored by a stag in richmond park says she thought she was going to die. you—en lee from east london was filming deer, when a stag charged at her, causing serious wounds. she spoke to our reporter sarah harris, and showed her the video she was recording moments before the attack. still fragile and onlyjust home in leytonstone from hospital, yuan li is still in shock after being brutally attacked by a stag. this is the phone footage she was taking in richmond park, moments before the deer ran at her.

he used his antlers to just attack my upper thigh, midriff area. this enormous force put me to the floor and in the same time ifelt extreme pain in my stomach and my thigh. at that moment, i think, no, i'm not going to die in the park. i did think about that. it is mating time for deer, whose population is thought to be at the largest for 1000 in years. although experts say it is rare for them to attack a human being, yuan li wants to make other londoners aware of the dangers. i see wildlife every day in london. so i am very used to it. and also there are lots of photos online you can see people petting deers, feeding deers, laying next to it, taking photos. so that creates a kind of illusion. whatever the temptation for a cute photo opportunity,

the advice from wardens is clear: deer are wild and territorial creatures and it is best to keep 50 metres between you and them at all times. the island of st helena used to be one of the world's most inaccessible locations. previously — the only way to get to there was by ship from south africa — which left once every three weeks. now, st helena has welcomed its first commercial flight. 0ur correspondent alistair leithead was on that inauguralflight — he sent this report. the champagne was flowing for what was an extraordinary flight. after £250 million, months of delays, and a problem with high winds that labelled it the world's most useless airport, the first commercial flight finally touched down on st helena. the government paid for the new airport,

to bring in tourists and give the subsidised economy a well needed boost. but then they discovered wind shear that made it too dangerous for passenger planes to land. the islands governor greeted the first passengers to arrive, now they have worked out a way round it. darwin came here in the 19th century and complained about the wind. the department for international development has been criticised for not realising. no, it is not a cock—up at all. this is a remote island in the middle of the south atlantic 0cean. we have many, many challenges here. wind shear is just one of them and we have overcome it. well, standing here you can understand what the trouble is all about. this is a rock in the middle of the atlantic ocean. that gale that is blowing is just an average breezy day, and it is unpredictable.

planes have been struggling to land. that is why they have the small aircraft to do the job. so, not quite as many tourists to take in the scenery and the history. this is where napoleon died in exile. his old house is now part of france. with a500 people, it is a close community. the average wage is just £7,000. british aid subsidises most things. what do you think about this flight that is coming in now? it is absolutely awesome, it is wonderful. it is popular, and you were up there yourselves today, and saw all the clapping. it is really an island event. after a lot of fuss and a lot of money, saints, as they are called, are hoping for a silver lining. alastair leithead, bbc news, st helena. a new 600 million pound toll bridge over the river mersey has opened to traffic this weekend. the mersey gateway route is the largest infrastructure project in england outside london and connects runcorn and widnes in cheshire. andy gill reports. hundreds of people lined the banks of the mersey to watch a spectacular

firework display a few hours before the new bridge opened. it links widnes on the north bank and runcorn on the south. tolls aside, the locals approve. it is smart. it is better than its sister bridge. it reminds me of the one in america. it is a lovely bridge. long time overdue. it is really fantastic as a development. just past midnight, the bridge was opened, and bikers were amongst the first to cross. the mersey gateway bridge is the biggest civil engineering project in the country outside london. the total cost is more than £1.8 billion. 20 million vehicles a year are expected to use it. and its 810 miles of cable would stretch from lands end tojon 0'groats. the old bridge now closes for a yearfor repairs. when it reopens, both mersey crossings will be tolled. locals can travel free if they pay a registration fee. but there is real anger amongst locals who have to pay. the transport secretary says the bridge should be free to use once it's paid for, in 20a2.

andy gill, bbc news, cheshire. students across the uk have been settling into their new university courses, but some freshers have more life experience than others. in fact, some are nearer 80 than 18. 0ur education correspondent, sean coughlan, has been to meet some of them. forget the usual stereotypes about students and meet maureen matthews, who isjust starting a law degree, at the tender age of 79. i may look old, but inside is a younger person, still coming out with the same aspirations. this isn't an evening course. she will be studying full—time for the next three years

at the iniversity of west london. what is that like studying with people so much younger than yourself? delightful. the reason being that they have a flexibility of mind. they have that ability to be spontaneous. how they group together, how they make sure that they support each other — and that means supporting even the old lady. there has been an increase in older students on full—time university courses, but they are still a pretty rare bunch. only 25 students aged over 70 started last year. at this university, though, they pride themselves on having students from all ages and backgrounds. rita, a relative youngster compared to maureen, says the different generations help each other. they'll be saying, oh, rita, and you know, i think all of them, we help each other. they are strong in some areas, and maybe i am strong in other areas, so we all come together. we have a study group.

even last session, we had study groups helping each other to pass the assessments. and we all passed in the group, and nobody had to resit. but what do the younger students make of veteran classmates? it was quite surprising when i came in for induction day. i expected teenagers, but there were people of all ages from all different places. if anything, i find it inspirational that they feel they can come back into education. it is really interesting, that, because they always seem to have a lot more knowledge. but maureen says that aid should not be a barrier to anyone wanting a new challenge later in life. i say go at it. go at it. all older people are people of being up to a challenge. they have been through life where they've had to meet many. many challenges. now the weather with matt taylor.

good morning. well, after hitting category 3 status on saturday, a rarity for the eastern atlantic, hurricane 0phelia here on the chart to the south of the azores will weaken as it pushes towards our shores in the next 2a hours. but it is already having an indirect impact. because to the west of it, whilst dragging cold air to the atlantic, to the east warm air is being pushed in our direction. muggy conditions out there at the moment. we start the day with temperatures widely the teens. conditions still warmer than it should be at this time of year across the northern scotland. wet and windy here, with gales around the hebrides. windy start in scotland and ireland, with outbreaks of rain becoming more extensive throughout the day, but not as heavy as we start with. south and east, lots morning cloud, fog in the hills, but that will break up later. after the wet start it will dry up in the hebrides. the winds will ease down. across scotland, lots of cloud, with the occasional rain. same too in northern ireland. there could be a splash

of rain in cumbria by the time we hit mid—afternoon, but much of england and wales will be dry. breeziest west, with nothing untoward at all. but cloudier compared to some eastern areas. where the cloud breaks, temperatures will be above what you see here. maybe as high as 23 celsius in one or two spots. that is where should be at the stage in october. by monday morning, hurricane 0phelia is getting closer. no longer a hurricane, but will still be a substantial storm, the core of which likely to affect the republic of ireland. southern and western areas of the uk. we will see winds strengthen through the morning, particularly around irish sea coasts, the celtic coast as well. the northern ireland could see damaging and destructive winds of 70 or even 80 miles an hour. later during the day, a cool day in the north. further east, a bit of a breeze, but not a bad day.

temperatures could reach 23 or 2a. monday night into tuesday, the centre of a low pressure system as it is scotland with heavy rain hit throughout the night. strongest of the winds in the south of scotland and northern england as we go to tuesday morning rush hour. that could have an impact. you can see that low pressure pushing eastwards throughout tuesday. so the rain eases off and brightens up. the further south you are, the more pleasant it will be. temperatures in the high teens.