this is bbc news, the headlines: british mps have, for a second time, overwhelmingly rejected the brexit deal negotiated with the eu. it's despite theresa may securing last—minute changes on the issue welcome to bbc news — of the irish border. broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name's mike embley. our top stories. cardinal george pell has been sentenced to six years in jail for child sexual offences. the former vatican treasurer by a huge margin, for a second time, the british is the most senior clergyman ever to be convicted. parliament rejects the prime minister's brexit deal. the australian cleric, cardinal george pell, has been sentenced to 6 years in jail for child sex offences — the most senior clergyman ever to be he was told that he may not live to convicted of such a crime. be released from prison because of it was a clear relationship of trust his age and health issues. with the victims and you breached the boeing 737 max is temporarily that trust and abused your position banned from european airspace, and many other countries, after 2 fatal accidents in 5 months. to facilitate this offending. the us federal aviation authority has said it will not the boeing 737 max is temporarily suspend the aircraft. banned from european airspace, and many other countries, after 2 fatal accidents in 5 months. actress felicity huffman amongst a0 people charged with involvement in a scam to help wealthy americans cheat their way that is it for the into ivy league universities.

the uk government has suffered another massive defeat in the house of commons. over the terms on which the uk should leave the european union. parliament again voted to reject the agreement the prime minister has spent more than 2 years negotiating — this time by a majority of 149. with just over 2 weeks before the date officially scheduled for brexit, mps will now vote on whether the uk should leave the eu without any agreement. if it's a no to that, as expected, they'll vote on whether to ask the eu for more negotiating time — in effect, to delay brexit. this from our political

editor laura kuenssberg. division, clear the lobby! this is what a political disaster looks and sounds like — mps hurrying here and there, piling through westminster‘s corridors, walking through a lobby to say no. for a second time, the prime minister has lost her deal, another chunk of authority, and maybe her way. the ayes to the right — 242. the noes to the left — 391. the prime minister onlyjust hanging onto her voice, hanging on in office right now. i profoundly regret the decision that this house has taken tonight. i continue to believe that by far the best outcome is that the united kingdom leaves the european union in an orderly fashion, with a deal, and that the deal we've negotiated is the best, and indeed the only, deal available. exasperated, the prime minister will allow mps to vote tomorrow as they wish to rule out leaving the eu without a formal arrangement. if they do, then on thursday, they could vote to delay departure.

but tonight it is the prime minister asking, "then what?" and this house will have to answer that question — does it wish to revoke article 50? does it want to hold a second referendum? jeering. or does it want to leave with a deal, but not this deal? these are unenviable choices, but thanks to the decision that the house has made this evening, they are choices that must now be faced. labour voted against, and now, if it was down to them, they would fight for a general election. the prime minister has run down the clock, and the clock has been run out on her. maybe it's time instead we had a general election, and people can choose who their government should be. the prime minister still does not want to junk her deal, but the biggest problem was the cabinet's top lawyer didn't believe the new legal promises

from the eu on the deal made an enormous difference. will the deal get over the line? we'll wait and see, laura. the tweaks to its most controversial part, the backstop. his raised eyebrow about whether it will get over the line. is it enough for your colleagues? because his verdict emerged just as ministers were leaving. while the attorney—general said the new arrangements would reduce the risk of getting stuck in the backstop, he concluded that the risk remains unchanged, that ultimately there could be circumstances where there would be no internationally lawful means for the uk to leave the backstop on its own. in my view... jeering. and the opposition even laughing at some points at how he tried to present the deal as new. ..the question for the house is whether, in the light of these improvements, as a political judgement, the house should now enter into those arrangements.

perhaps it would never have been enough for tory eurosceptics, who all along have had the power to block theresa may. could this deal ever work for them? 52% of the voters voted to leave, but in the house of commons, probably 500 out of 650 mps supported remain. and this disconnect is actually quite troubling for our politics, because the house of commons is ignoring the majority of the british people. she's not been able to hold back the forces that resist her deal. but ministers tonight say, despite the defeat, the political toll, you guessed it — theresa may will try again. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. this does have real world consequences in terms ofjobs and the markets. let's get some market reaction now to the brexit developments. our asia business correspondent karishma vaswani is in singapore. how is it looking from there and what do you think the markets are

expecting? what are they factoring in? ever since the entire brexit negotiation process came into effect with the referendum two years ago it would be fair to say that markets have priced in uncertainty when it comes to brexit and it is no different today. what we have seen asa different today. what we have seen as a small drop in the value of the poundin as a small drop in the value of the pound in asian trade, matching what we saw last night. out here in the asian markets generally shares have been mixed. the reason is because they are waiting for the next development in this vote, because of the next vote will see overnight. most investors and analysts i have been speaking to have priced in the fa ct been speaking to have priced in the fact that there was not going to be very large different outcome from the one we saw last night. if there isa no the one we saw last night. if there is a no deal on the table then that

is a no deal on the table then that is what ends up happening this evening, from what analysts have been telling me here it could be catastrophic for the value of the british pound. in australia, cardinal pell has been sentenced to six years in prison after his conviction for sexually abusing two choir boys in melbourne in the 1990s. in his summing up, chiefjudge peter kidd told the 77—year—old he "may not live to be released from prison" because of his age and health issues. the case has rocked the catholic church, where as vatican treasurer, george pell was one of its highest—ranked officials. for more on this, i am joined now by hywel griffith, who's in melbourne. can you tell us more on the background of the case and how it developed today? it is hard to overstate the reverence in which george pell used to be held here in australia. he was the highest ranking catholic in the country and became one of the highest ranking

catholics in the world but now his fall from grace is complete and he is due to be taken to prison to commence a six—year prison term. the offences relate to his time here as archbishop of melbourne when he came across two choirboys prang in the back of the cathedral, inflicting sexual abuse upon them, described in some detail in the courts it the cardinaldid some detail in the courts it the cardinal did not flinch as descriptions were given and nor did he respond as the six—year sentence was handed down. the chiefjustice said he was notjudging the catholic church but he was reflecting the gravity of the offence and the impact it had on young lives. the argument of your council that this offending was committed by you george pell the man and not by you, george pell the man and not by you, george pell the archbishop must be roundly rejected. i do so without

hesitation. your obvious status as archbishop cast a powerful shadow over this offending. not only do i consider you offended in breach of your relationship of trust and in abuse of your power and authority, i would characterise these breaches and abusers as grave. despite there being no grooming, i have still found that you made a reasoned and deliberate decision to engage in this inexcusable conduct of the first episode. you had time to reflect on your behaviour as you offended yet you fail to do this bout was the chiefjudge there. now the moral standing of the catholic church world wide has been shredded by this series of sex abuse scandals. in australia it is fair to say that there is a lot of support for cardinal pell, isn't there? absolutely. a minority but a vocal minority who refused to accept the verdict of thejury minority who refused to accept the verdict of the jury which was reached back in december and since

details of the case were made public a fortnight ago have been authorised in their defence. figures as eminent as former prime ministerjohn howard who wrote a character reference cardinal pell. we also saw people in court there to support him today. there were glances from cardinal pell towards them although he was not obviously able to speak to them directly. cardinal pell has maintained his innocence. he may now have an opportunity to take his case forward because there is an appeal here forjune. several grounds of appeal. one is that the verdict of thejury appeal. one is that the verdict of the jury was unreasonable depending entirely on the word of one complainant. speaking to some people who understand the local law system here in the state of victoria they see for that appeal it has potentially grounds for success.

let's get some of the day's other news. thousands of protestors in algeria have again taken to the streets — despite the decision by the ailing president, abdelaziz bouteflika, to withdraw his candidacy for a fifth term in office. protesters are accusing the president of a ploy to prolong his 20—year rule. the 82—year—old postponed presidential elections that were originally scheduled for next month, though no new date for the election was set. nine women in sudan accused of taking part in protests against the government of president omar al—bashir have had their sentences of flogging overturned. the appeal court ordered their immediate release. there have been weeks of protests, originally against the rising cost of living but now also focussed on removing the president from power. a spokesman for the taliban has told the bbc that there's been progress on two major issues at the latest round of afghan peace talks between the united states and the taliban. suhail shaheen said the two sides have agreed to discuss the withdrawal of foreign troops from afghanistan. further negotiations will also take place on how to prevent terror attacks against other countries being launched

from afghan territory. lawyers for michael flynn — president donald trump's former national security adviser — have asked a judge to delay his sentencing for 90 days. michael flynn was found guilty for lying to the fbi during the investigation into possible collusion between trump's campaign and russia during the 2016 presidential election campaign. american officials insist the boeing 737 max 8 aircraft is still safe to fly even though india and the european union have become the latest to ban the aircraft from flying over their airspace. it comes after an ethiopian airlines plane crashed on sunday, claiming the lives of 157 people — the second fatal accident involving the 737 max 8 in less than 5 months. our transport correspondent tom burridge has the story. this plane was just allowed back into manchester this afternoon. but this ultramodern, boeing 737 max 8 arriving from marrakesh, has

now been grounded. uk aviation regulators say none of this model can arrive or leave uk airports until they are convinced it is safe. mid—flight, there was an unusual announcement. we were told while we were in the air that they'd actually grounded it. i was apprehensive. really? you are bound to be, aren't you? i was aware that it was involved in two fatal crashes, but that didn't sway my mind. but this flight made it most of the way to birmingham before being turned back, just like another flight into gatwick. sunday's crash was the second involving a boeing 737 max 8 injust five months. today, oliver vic, a un worker, described by his family as an inspirational man with a zest for life, now confirmed as one of at least nine british people on board. the uk's civil aviation regulator has now suspended all flights in and out of uk airports on the 737 max. boeing's latest short—haul

model has a modified, automatic flight control system. it is supposed to dip the plane's nose if it is at risk of stalling. but in the case of the crash in october off indonesia, incorrect data, collected by a sensor on the aircraft, caused it to nosedive shortly after take—off. america's aviation regulator says the plane is being modified to make the anti—stall system safer. the training and manuals for pilots will also be improved. but this british pilot who has trained on the 737 max says he wouldn't be confident flying one today. we've changed his voice because he is not authorised by his airline to talk to us. i am somewhat apprehensive about the similarities between the lion air crash and the current ethiopian crash. i'd have my reservations and doubt in getting into and operating the 737 max today. boeing said it has full confidence in the safety of this plane, but now after european regulators followed the british decision, the aircraft has been

grounded the world over. and aviation chiefs in america, the home of boeing, are under pressure to follow suit. tom burridge, bbc news. the us—backed syrian democratic forces say 3000 islamic state fighters and their families surrendered on tuesday in their last small syrian enclave of baghouz. they've been subjected to three days of air strikes and artillery fire, with interludes to allow them to surrender. the sdf says that once everyone who wants to capitulate has done so, a final assault will be launched against the few hundred fighters still thought to be in baghouz. ramzan karmali has more. the syrian defence forces warming baghouz, is‘s last conclave in syria. three days in a row now, the town has been subjected to air

strikes and artillery fire in an attempt to get the last remaining is fighters to surrender. it is a far cry for is, who wants ruled an area of 88,000 square kilometres. that was roughly one third of iraq and syria. a few years later and all thatis syria. a few years later and all that is left is baghouz. is‘s like flag still fighters in town but only just. earlier this week, the bbc gained access to baghouz and so the extreme conditions people have been forced to live in. with the intense bombing from the syrian defence forces, it comes as no surprise that so forces, it comes as no surprise that so many is forces are giving up. translation: they are surrendering during the day. during the night, there is no movement because coalition planes are there and are hitting any movement. surrendering during the day means that we can see if there is room for is or civilians to surrender themselves. but within

baghouz, is fighters remained defiant. translation: what is our guilt? what is a crime? why we bombed by planes? why do all of the nations of the unbelieving world come together to fight us? thousands of families of fighters have also fled. many of them have ended up in a camp in the north—eastern syria. it was designed to hold 600, but now is hosting 6000. the six—hour journey to the camp has also claimed lives, according to the world health organization, 106 mainly infants have died en route to the cam since december. —— camp. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: water shortages and power cuts deepen the crisis in venezuela as the us considers more sanctions.

the numbers of dead and wounded defied belief, this the worst terrorist atrocity on european soil in modern times. in less than 2a hours then the soviet union lost an elderly, sick leader and replaced him with a dynamic figure 20 years his junior. we heard these gunshots in the gym. then he came out through a fire exit and started firing at our huts, and, god, we were all petrified. james earl ray, aged 41, sentenced to 99 years and due for parole when he's 90, travelled from memphis jail to nashville state prison in an eight car convoy. paul, what's it feel like to be married at last? it feels fine, thank you. what are you going to do now? is it going to change your life much, do you think? i don't know, really. i've never been married before.

welcome back. the latest headlines: the british parliament overwhelmingly rejects the prime minister's brexit dealfor a second time. cardinal george pell has been sentenced to a total of six years in prison for child sex offences in australia. the united states has announced that it is pulling its remaining diplomatic staff out of venezuela, it's preparing to impose further sanctions in the next few days as well. the decision comes after the venezuelan government asked schools and businesses to remain closed for a second day since widespread blackouts began on thursday. will grant has the latest from caracas. it has been another chaotic day in venezuela's political crisis. schools have been closed, there has been looting in other cities, and

whether or not it was incompetence 01’ whether or not it was incompetence or sabotage that caused it, most venezuelans are furious at president nicolas maduro for the vast blackout thatis nicolas maduro for the vast blackout that is still affect things —— affecting public services. first no electricity, now no water, all in one of the most resource—rich countries in the world. after several days without power, many venezuelans are now coping with no water supply, forcing some of the poorest to drink from the foul, polluted river that runs through caracas. tensions are understandably rising. translation: we need water. it's vital, we're human beings. they're offering us a tanker, but that'll only quench our thirst for a minute. when the tanker arrives, the government official insist everything is fine. translation: this revolution keeps its word to the people. the issue with the water supply is related to the blackout, which was carried out

by the opposition. this is another sporadic protest, cutting off the main avenues of caracas, this time not over the lack of electricity, but the lack of water. it's just another sign of a city and a country in terminal decline. margarita and this man know all about venuzuela in decline. both are engineers who teach at the university, reduced to gathering rain water and run—off from the national park. in their cramped apartment, every available space is taken up with utensils for water. each drop is precious and conserved. the family of four hasn't been able to wash their clothes for days, so in the brief moments that water does return, it is all hands to the pump. translation: i'm frustrated, exhausted, angry, sad. i feel impotent in the face of what is happening. when the electricity cut out on thursday,

i felt total panic. these are the families behind venuzuela's angry politics. so much of the country's vast oil wealth has gone down the drain in corruption and theft, with most venezualans left watching as their basic services crumble around them. siti aisyah, the indonesian woman accused of killing kim jong—nam, the half brother of north korean leader kim jong—un, has told the bbc she is relieved to be back home and out of prison. she was freed monday in malaysia after prosecutors withdrew a murder charge. she had been accused of smearing a nerve agent on mr kim's face in kuala lumpur airport in 2017. her co—accused remains in prison. here she is speaking to the bbc. translation: i could not imagine, but i never thought it would be this

soon. i mean, i neverthought it would suddenly end up like this. it never crossed my mind. i was accused with such a crime, which i think everybody would agree that the accusation was very serious. i even once thought, is this the end of my life? i was not involved, i never thought that i would be entangled to such an extent. let's get some of the day's other news for you. manchester city will pay millions of dollars in compensation for child victims of historic sexual abuse at the hands of former youth coaches. barry bennell and john broome worked for the football club in the 1960s. victims will also receive a personal apology. police in brazil have arrested two people in connection with last year's murder of a rio dejaneiro councillor and her driver.

marielle franco was viewed by many as a champion of women's rights. she'd been highly critical of the deployment of federal security forces in poor neighbourhoods. her killing prompted mass protests. the us has told germany it will limit the amount of intelligence it shares, if the chinese tech giant huawei is allowed to be part of germany's upcoming 5g mobile network. it's thought the us is concerned about security risks. huawei claims it is the victim of an american smear campaign. authorities in the us have arrested dozens of people allegedly involved in a scam to help wealthy americans cheat their way into top us universities. the american actress felicity huffman is among more than a0 people charged. she starred in the hit tv series desperate housewives and is married to the actor, william h macy. prosecutors claim the scheme targeted top—flight institutions including yale, stanford, and georgetown. yes, felicity huffman and her husband arrived here in court in los angeles in the last hour to answer

an allegation that she was part of a giant scheme to get children into america's top universities. she is accused of paying more than $11,000 to get her daughter into a top university through the scheme which helped children cheat at exams and roped in coaches, who are coaching athletics at those universities to get other children in on athletic scholarships. this involves more than 30 other parents, some of them famous stars, some of rich business people. the prosecutor bringing this case that it was wealth and privilege that ran through this list are now more than 12 coaches on list as well. this is a complex case that will take a long time, the court process is only just will take a long time, the court process is onlyjust begun. —— has only. and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter. i'm @bbcmikeembley. and quickly reminded that mean news, cardinal george pell has been sentenced to six years in jail in australia for child sexual offences.

he is the most senior clergyman ever convicted of such offences. that is it for now, thank you. hello there. very windy overnight. it's still going to be very windy during the day on wednesday. sunshine and blustery showers. we're still feeling the effects of storm gareth. this was earlier on, that belt of cloud brought the rain. behind that, we're seeing frequent showers around the centre of the storm, and just on the southern flank of that curl of cloud, this is where the strongest swathe of winds has been, affecting western scotland, northern ireland, increasingly now running over the irish sea. by the time we get to the early morning, into the rush—hour time, the winds still very strong in western scotland and northern ireland. not as strong, though — 50—60mph. strongest winds over the irish sea into north—west england, into pennine areas, leeds and sheffield, 65 mph. there'll be some continued disruption. it will be windy everywhere early in the morning,

and gales widely. also streams of showers, one in north—eastern scotland, one into western scotland, over the irish sea into the midlands. for much of the day, southern parts of england and wales and eastern england will be dry with some sunshine. the winds gradually easing down through the afternoon. eventually, some cloud and some rain arrives in northern ireland. shouldn't be quite as chilly — temperatures 11 or 12 degrees on wednesday afternoon. the winds continue to ease through the evening, but we introduce more cloud, we introduce rain to many parts of the country overnight, and the main concern is the amount of rain. the continued rain in upland areas of north—west england, over the pennines and the cumbrian fells, could lead to some flooding issues over the next few days. mild enough, temperatures 5—7 degrees, ‘cause it's windy and it's wet. now, the worst of the rain will probably be overnight and first thing in the morning. that weather front will take the heaviest of the rain away, and then we've got this secondary cold front that's moving its way southwards and taking patchy rain

across wales and into southern england. then still a strong to gale—force north—westerly wind will bring down sunshine and showers, most of the showers in the north—west of scotland, where it's a little bit chillier, 8 or 9 degrees. further south, could get up as high as 11 or 12. now, as one band of rain moves through, as we look to the atlantic again. this is where everything is coming from. very mobile situation, another set of weather fronts arriving overnight, the winds picking up in time for friday. so some more strong—to—gale—force mainly westerly winds. most of the rain will be across scotland and northern ireland. as that rain pushes down into england and wales, it tends to peter out. south—west might be dry, and quite warm, actually — temperatures of 1a or 15 degrees. chillierfurther north, increasingly wintry showers in scotland.