welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: california couple david and louise turpin plead not guilty to charges of imprisoning and torturing their 13 children. the house of representatives has passed a temporary measure to avert a government shutdown, although the bill is facing a difficult time getting through the senate. eight people have died as a storm causes widespread chaos across north—west europe. new zealand's prime minister, who became the world's youngest female leader last october, announces she's expecting herfirst child. i am not the first woman to multitask. i'm not the first woman to work and have a baby. and love is in the air. pope francis stuns a couple of flight attendants by offering an impromptu marriage service aboard his papal flight. prosecutors have been detailing

allegations of abuse by the parents of 13 children rescued by police from their home in california. david and louise turpin have pleaded not guilty to torture, child abuse and false imprisonment. a district attorney said the children, aged between 2 and 29, were found severely malnourished with brain and nerve damage, some of them chained to their beds. they were rescued after one escaped through a window of the house, east of los angeles. the bbc‘s james cook in los angeles says the girl's escape had been planned for a long time. according to the prosecutor who has been giving a lot more harrowing detail about this case, the 17—year—old girl who got out of the house and plotted with her siblings to escape for the last two years, and when she did get out, having taken a deactivated mobile

phone she used to make an emergency phone call. she left with a sibling. the prosecutor did not say which one. they said it was a girl who got out with her sibling. her sister became frightened and went back into the house. the 17—year—old continued the plan and alerted police. they found a hellish scene. they suffered years of physical and emotional abuse that plunged the depths of depravity. it dates back as far as 2010, charges the parents deny. is there any indication why the parents were allegedly doing this? no. and, of course, that is the question everyone is asking and the question

no one can find a satisfactory answer to. perhaps no one ever will. they gave more details to the prosecutor about the conditions in which the children were allegedly kept. if these allegations are borne out in court, they sound especially cruel. there were toys in the house, but they were unopened, and they were not allowed to open them. they were only allowed to shower once a year and if the water went up above their wrists they were punished. they could have been beaten, strangled, chained to beds, and hogtied on one occassion. it is also reported by the prosecutors the parents brought food into the house, a lot, including pies, and left it on the kitchen counter, but forbade them eating it. the level of depravity is quite sickening. 2017 was one of the three

hottest years on record. and the vast majority of scientists say they're confident the impact of humans on the global climate is greater than any natural causes. researchers at the uk's met office, nasa, and the us atmospheric administration are now certain emissions of greenhouse gases are to blame. here's our environment analyst roger harrabin. the recent wildfires in california, not caused by man—made climate change, but influenced by high temperatures drying out parched land, followed by the deadly mudslides caused by an unsual combination of extreme rain and heat. scientists say the recent records shows c02 is causing this. look back to the worldwide temperature graphs of the 1990s from the met office. the warming el nino current caused this spike in 1998. temperatures dip after that,

but then it is back with record highs in 2015—16. but then a return in 2017. this is a clear sign greenhouse gases are the main driver of warming. this is really saying these influences of the human activity on the climate group greenhouse gases are dwarfing natural climate processes associated with el nino. flooding near the coast after hurricane harvey is the most certain outcome of climate change, as the seas rise and the planet warms. the report today has been a wake—up call, showing it is happening, and showing we cannot keep burning coal, oil, and gas. politicians need to stop dithering and take real action. in scotland, travellers may be wondering why they have snow while the world is warming,

but that is just short—term weather. heatwaves in australia look more like climate change, with records being broken all the time. all nations except the usa are committed to tackling climate change. they all accept the need to do more. roger harrabin, bbc news. a car has crashed into crowds at copacabana beach in brazil killing a baby and injuring a dozen more people. early reports suggest the incident was an accident. the driver has been detained. police cordoned off the scene while ambulance workers treated the injured. media reports suggest the driver suffered an epileptic fit at the wheel. drugs to treat the condition were reportedly found by police in the vehicle. 0n the eve of the one—year mark for president trump's time in office, the us government could be forced to shut down on friday, as congress tries to come up with a bill to keep federal agencies funded.

there's been some progress in what's become a regular game of political brinkmanship. the house of representatives has passed a short—term spending bill —— to keep government services open for another month. but it's looking unlikely the senate will approve it. president trump is blaming the democratic party, even though republicans control both houses of congress and the white house. republicans do not quite have enough votes and democrats want the bill to include protection for undocumented immigrants brought to the us as children. mr trump claims the democrats want a shutdown to divert attention from the economic upturn. the democrats want to see a shutdown to get off the subject, because the subject is not working for them. the tax cuts, the tax reform, has not worked well for the democrats. now, yesterday, you saw with apple, a $350 billion investment. now they are giving thousands of dollars to their employees, that is happening all over the country, and i am really happy. i am confident we will pass it because members understand

why on earth would we want the government to shutdown, hurt the military, the sequester on the military starts kicking in soon, that is not in the interest of anyone. why do we want to feed the idea we should use troops as bargaining chips? today, they are putting on the floor a continued resolution which, in itself, is not the way to go, just to have another continuation, and how many more to come? but the fact is of its substance, it is wrong. by having nothing to do with protecting people, we will be opposing this continued resolution. because, while they put the chip programme in there, they do not put the accompanying provisions that make chip work. 0ur correspondent peter bowes explained why the pressure is on both the republicans and democrats to ensure

there is no shut down. both houses and the white house are controlled by the republicans. it has happened in the past but not as clear—cut in terms of the party in control. it will be quite significant. it seems that from what politicians on all sides are saying is that none of them want this to happen, it would look bad on both sides. the president is suggesting that the democrats would be to blame for this. as he said earlier, the democrats want to avert attention away from the successful economy in the us. as i say, all sides want to see this happen. it could potentially be dangerous the democrats because the power is in their hands at the moment in the senate because they need to vote in favour. if they do not and the government shuts down, people will not be paid and some voters, when it comes to the elections later this year,

may blame the democrats. you can read more about this story on our website with more analysis and commentary from our correspondents in washington and from business. that's all at bbc.com/news. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. scientists in the us say they've made significant progress towards developing a universal blood test for cancer. researchers atjohns hopkins university said their tests — showed a success rate of 70% for identifying eight types of cancer. experts said the development had massive potential, but more work was needed to verify its accuracy. the british prime minister theresa may and french president emmanuel macron have been holding talks in the uk. the two countries agreed a new border treaty, with britain paying 61 million dollars to increase border security in france. the money will go on cctv cameras,

fencing and relocating migrants at calais and other ports. a fierce storm that wreaked havoc across parts of western europe on thursday has now crossed to poland. winds from storm friederike reached up to more than 200 kilometres an hour — causing severe disruptions to travel and plunging thousands into darkness. at least eight people are thought to have been killed. a storm so ferocious, so indiscriminate, it rips through homes and wrecks journeys. frederick was forecast, but few were expect these hurricane—strength gusts. more than 300 flights were cancelled at amsterdam schiphol airport. some pilots did try to land.

but gave up. 0thers gave their passengers a memorable experience. the landing was rough, not the roughest i have ever had, but a lot of bumps. it was bumpy. many people were throwing up. i was worried about my little daughter, that she was going to be sick. but we were 0k. i flew into schiphol with my daughter. the routes down to the platforms have been cordoned off. that is why you see this, a queue snaking outside the terminal building. across the border in germany,

meteorologists were warning people to stay indoors. schools were closed. the national rail operator suspended almost all long distance services. they are expecting significant disruption on the trains again today. insurers in the netherlands are estimating 50 million euros worth of damages. stay with us on bbc news — still to come: the exhibition setting the story

straight on so—called american indians. the people of saigon have just heard that, at last, there is to be a ceasefire. i'm going home. demonstrators waiting for mike gatting and his rebel cricket team were attacked with tear gas and set upon by police dogs. anti—apartheid campaigners say they will carry on the protests throughout tour. they called him the butcher of lyon. klaus altmann is being held on a fraud charge in bolivia. but the west germans want to extradite him for crimes committed in wartime france. there, he was the gestapo chief klaus barbie. millions came to bathe a close as possible at this spot, a tide of humanity that is believed by officials to have broken all records. this is bbc news.

the latest headlines: the parents of 13 children rescued by police from a house in california have pleaded not guilty to charges of torture, abuse and false imprisonment. the us house of representatives has passed a short—term spending bill, but any chance of avoiding a government shutdown now lies with the senate, which considers the bill next. the mayor of cape town has heavily criticised residents for failing to conserve water and has announced strict new rationing. the south african coastal city faces the prospect of running dry as soon as april. according to the mayor, it's reached a "point of no return". it's the worst drought there in a century. sarah corker reports. cape town's water supply relies on six dams. this is the reality of three years of very little rain. water levels are dangerously low — less than 30%. for months, the city's four million

people have been urged to ration water or face day zero — that is the moment the reservoirs run dry and the taps are turned off. now, the city's mayor has accused residents of not caring and of being dangerously selfish. at this point, we must assume that they will not change their behaviour and that the chances of reaching day zero on the 21st of april is now very likely. we can no longer ask people to stop wasting water. we now have to force them. from next month, their water allowance is being slashed. it is currently 87 litres per day, per person. that is about the same as an average bath. from february, there will be a new 50—litre limit, backed up by heavy fines. dam levels are currently at 28%. day zero takes effect

when levels fall to 13.5%. and, if cape town does become the first major city in the world to run out of water, residents will have to queue at designated water points for 25 litres a day. the government says there will be armed guards to make sure nobody takes more than they are allowed. from what i could see, there was nothing happening in the last 20 years for the preservation of water. now we are in this predicament. it could have been done already. but it is now all hindsight. this is the third year of droughts here. some blame climate change. 0thers highlight a growing population. but the authorities warn that these emergency measures may simply not now be enough to stop reservoirs running dry. the us is famously a nation of immigrants, but the debate over who should be allowed into the country and who should stay has intensified.

so, just who are americans today? a new exhibition at the national museum of the american indian in washington addresses that issue through images of the very first americans to live on the continent. jane 0'brien has more. indian imagery is all around us. this exhibition asks the question why, and seeks to separate the myth and reality. it takes stories we think we know, from the roots of thanksgiving to the battle of this big corn and invites visitors to rethink america's tangled and conflicted relationship with american indians. the problem we have encountered is people think it

doesn't really have to do with them, it is all in the past, so the look of this gallery is very contemporary because we are trying to say none of this is over, this is part of your life, this is part of the american national identity. in fact given the ubiquity of indian imagery, it can be hard to believe the country was once imagined without its native americans. the indian removal act was a tragedy for the tribes, that many details have been forgotten. did you know to instance that more indians were removed by boat than by wagin? 0rthe 300 indians were removed by boat than by wagin? or the 300 died indians were removed by boat than by wagin? 0rthe 300 died in wagin? or the 300 died in 1837 when this steamship capsized. when a culture chooses to think of itself, it is always evolving. the very existence of this museum and the fa ct existence of this museum and the fact that our congress chose to establish it is a signal, at least we ta ke establish it is a signal, at least we take it as a signal, that they are ready, that ask us to tell these stories in our way from our perspective, and i think that is actually a very mature thing for our country to do. in the 20th century,

advertisers began exploiting american indian images as the us transformed into a consumer economy. the growing list of the american west and the pioneer spirit that indians represented became a great way to sell things. listen to this description of the cherokee tree. the chief stands high, wild and handsome, with flared fenders. we are talking about a car, for goodness sake. it was detrimental because it for american indians in the past, as you can see when you look around the gallery, basically you were looking at images of 19th—century indians and this has had a hugely harmful effect on american indians because then there contemporary lives are not being appreciated. and that's the ultimate aim of this exhibition— that visitors will live with a better awareness of the images that surrounds them and a new way of

seeing them. jane 0'brien, bbc news, washington. new zealand's prime ministerjacinda ardern has announced that she's pregnant. she and her partner, clarke gayford, are expecting their child injune. she's then going to take a break ofjust six weeks. andy beatt reports. new zealand's youngest prime minister in a century broke the news on social media that she was about to be upstaged. just hours later, she found her home besieged by well—wishers — amongst them, the world's media. clarke and i are really excited to share, as you already know, that injune, we are looking forward to welcoming our first child. we still have to get used to saying that out loud because, of course, we have been keeping it to ourselves for quite a long time. the couple found out they were expecting a child in october, just six days before she took office. ..do this! her labour party forming a coalition with new zealand first after a closely fought election. since then, she has been struggling to keep the news secret. i had to announce it eventually — there is only so long you can say

you are eating too many christmas pies! yeah, i was showing from about 12 weeks, so... um, so, yeah, eventually we had to say, and this felt as good a time as any. while clarke plans to be a stay—at—home dad, new zealand's first lady has faced questions over how she'll juggle her demanding day job with the role of being a mum. i am not the first woman to multitask! i am not the first woman to work and have a baby. i know these are special circumstances but there will be many women who will have done this well before i have. i acknowledge those women. i am about to sympathise with them a lot, as i sympathise with all women who have suffered morning sickness. but i am excited, we are excited, and we know together that we are going to make this work and new zealand is going to help us raise ourfirst child. 37—year—old jacinda ardern will now

join us small band of heads of government who give birth while still in office. —— 37—year—old jacinda ardern will nowjoin a small band of heads of government who give birth while still in office. the first to do so was pakistan's benazir bhutto in 1990. first, though, a home to prepare and a nation to govern. andy beatt, bbc news. and, as you are no doubt a bleak yelling at your television, a man would not be asked that question. the pope has officiated personally at an improvised wedding service as the papal plane flew over chile. the happy couple, both employees of the airline, approached the pope during the flight, asking for his blessing. but he made them a better offer. 0ur religion editor martin bashir has the story. they'd walked up the aisle on many occasions, but never in church. flight attendants paula ruiz and carlos elorriga married in a civil ceremony because their church in santiago had been destroyed by an earthquake eight years ago. and so, they asked the pope

if he would bless their union. but pope francis, who wrote about love in the family two years ago, made them an even better offer — would they like him to marry them? an astounded groom describes what happens next. translation: we had a short and small ceremony. he took our hands and he asked if there was love in our marriage, and if we want to keep on being together all life long. i'm getting emotional as i say it. it's not easy. we said yes. translation: it was a huge emotion. we are very, very happy. the handwritten marriage document was signed by the bride and groom, with the pope adding his own name in spanish, francisco. he concluded the ceremony in the sky by saying "i hope this motivates couples to marry". but as far as catholic weddings go... cheering and applause. ..it‘s pretty hard to beat being married by the pope on an aeroplane.

martin bashir, bbc news. the pope has now arrived in the peruvian capital, the last leg of his tour. the crowds lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the pontiff. he is going to have meetings with amazon leaders and the president. and for more on the pope, including a look at an incident in chile when he tended to a policewoman thrown from her horse, just go to our website. that's bbc.com/news. just briefly, even the royal supper rain delays. —— rail. prince harry and his fiancee meghan markle were an hour late for their first official visit to wales this afternoon because their train was delayed. that didn't stop hundreds of people braving the cold to greet them following hot on the heels of the stormy weather yesterday that

brought wind gusts of 83 miles an hour to eastern england, the focus today is on the snow. the satellite picture shows snow showers to the north—west and here is a little trough, a cold front that enhances the amount of snow, the frequency and heaviness of snow showers. where it is going? western scotland, arriving in time for the morning rush—hour. you could see further disruption here with significant accumulations of snow. it could be one of those mornings. certainly worth checking the condition of the roads before heading out on a journey in this part of the world. even northern ireland will see snow showers, causing problems out and about and if it is not snow then there is the risk of ice. further south, a number of showers across southern wales and south—west england, many will have rain and wintriness perhaps over the hills. for many across england, it should be a sunny start to the day but it will feel cold. temperatures hovering about freezing and a brisk wind to factor in. so the risk of disruption as we go into friday morning,

the focus across the western side of scotland. check before travelling and allow extra time for your journey. for the rest of the day, the majority of snow showers will be across the north and west of country. fewer showers elsewhere with the best of the sunshine across southern and central england. there could be an occasional wintry shower blowing in on those brisk winds. the wind will make you feel chilly. temperatures not reaching much above freezing in the north of the uk, but even in the south when you factor in the wind, it will be a cold—feeling day. there will be changes in the weather coming up through friday night. the weather front will try to move in and bring a spell of rain to the south of the uk. a bit of uncertainty about how far north the band will get but it could start to bump into the cold air and possibly bring a spell of snow to high parts of wales, the brecon beacons and perhaps some hills in southern england. that is uncertain. further north, there is a sure—fire certainty of snow showers and risk of ice into saturday morning because here it will be cold

through saturday morning the risk of rain and hill snow fades away from southern england and a decent day will be left. cold, sunshine, fewer showers for northern ireland and scotland and more sunshine. for the second half of the weekend, a band of heavy rain will spread in and there could be a spell of heavy snow on the leading edge for a time before the milder air returns. this weekend is not looking too bad on saturday but heavy rain and a chance, for some of us, of snow on sunday. this is bbc news. the headlines: prosecutors have been detailing allegations of abuse by the parents of 13 children rescued by police from their home in california. david and louise turpin have pleaded not guilty to torture, child abuse and false imprisonment. the children were found severely malnourished, some chained to their beds. they were rescued after one escaped through a window. on the eve of the one—year mark for president trump's time in office, the us government could be forced to shut down on friday, as congress tries to come

up with a bill to keep federal agencies funded. the house of representatives has passed a temporary measure, but it's looking unlikely the senate will approve it. a huge storm has caused havoc across north—west europe. there are reports of at least eight dead — many, in the netherlands and germany, hit by falling trees and debris. one man died when his van was blown to the other side of the road. now on bbc news...hardtalk