welcome to newsday. i'm kasia madera in london. the headlines: us congress votes to condemn president trump's racist tweets — as emotions run high on capitol hill. donald john trump, by causing such harm to the united states, warrants impeachment, room movement from office and trial. we have lift-off! 50 years after the apollo 11 crew took to the skies — we look back at the moon mission that made history.

i'm rico hizon in singapore. also in the programme. at least 180 people have died in torrential monsoon rains across south asia. millions more are left homeless. we return to the story of safa and marwa from pakistan. bornjoined at the head — as doctors in london successfully separate the twins. we've been working a long time to get them here, and now with so many operations, it's worked. love from our studios in london and singapore, this is bbc world news. it's newsday. —— live. good morning. it's 1:00am in london, eight am in singapore, and 8:00pm in washington where the house of representatives has voted to condemn president trump's racist tweets. in an extraordinary online outburst,

the president attacked four democratic congresswomen, telling them they should "go back to the country they came from". four republican members voted with the democrats. that's crossover to washington. david willis was watching devoted cell. my goodness, it was very volatile, very acrimonious? indeed. ill tempered and at times very passionate. the debate, the house of representatives voting in favour of this resolution, strongly condemning president trump for his use of — for his twitter thai raid which was branded racist against those four female democratic congresswoman —— twitter tirade, which he said they basically should go back home, as he put it, if they aren't happy here in the united states. well, every democrat voted in favour of this resolution and

four republicans joined them, including the only african—american republican in the house of representatives, will heard. the house speaker, nancy pelosi got the ball rolling by describing the president was make comments as racist and divisive and disgraceful. that prompted a rebuke from a republican lawmaker who actually called for those remarks, those racist remarks to be stricken from the record. that prompted a vote and it went in favour of this policy. but that wasn't before one point, the acting chairman, emanuel cleaver slammed his gavel down and disappeared from the building —— went in favour of miss pelosi. many speakers on the floor of the house to note, basically the discourse in the united states has descended to

this level, there is disappointment, this level, there is disappointment, this sort of name—calling. this level, there is disappointment, this sort of name-calling. if that wasn't dramatic enough, just after the vote we had articles fired of impeachment against president trump by the democratic representative al green, let's listen to how he did that. impeaching donald john trump, of high disc demeanours —— paid misdemeanours, that the president of the united states is unfit to be president, unfit to represent the american values of decency and morality —— high misdemeanours, honesty and civility, prior tree, repeatability and integrity —— propriety, unfit to defend liberty and justice for all as extolled in

the pledge of allegiance. is unfit to defend the american ideal of all persons being created equal, as exulted in the declaration of independence. is unfit to ensure domestic tranquillity, promote the general welfare and to ensure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. as lauded in the preamble of the united states' constitution. he has called for this before, al green. algreen is he has called for this before, al green. al green is one of about 80 members of the house of representatives that have spoken in favour in the past of impeachment proceedings going forward in the house as far as donald trump is concerned. it's not some being that

the democratic leadership wants to embark upon. at least for the time being. theirview is embark upon. at least for the time being. their view is is not a popular issue with the country, the country as a whole doesn't want to see the president impedes and of course are to move would ultimately fail in the senate —— impeached, and the senate is currently under republican control. david, thank you is always were talking as to these events in the house of representatives. david willis in washington. let's take a look at some of the day's other news. heavy rains are set to continue across south asia on wednesday. the monsoon has already left more than a hundred and 80 people dead and displaced millions. nearly 50 of the fatalities are in india, and at least 67 were killed in nepal. rajini vaidya nathan has more from delhi. misery for millions as the monsoons return. large parts of the north—east indian state of the psalm

now submerged. —— assam. one of india's most famous national parks, engulfed by the rains. in nepal, landslides have claimed dozens of lives and people are still reported missing. millions in bangladesh are also affected. here, rescue workers warned residents to stay away from the rushing floodwaters. and rohingya shelters are destroyed. a sudden intense storm in pakistan killed dozens, families now left to pick up the pieces. the monsoons are set to continue for a few more months. as millions struggle, the worst is not yet over. also making news today: the eu commission has

its first female president. german defence minister ursula von der leyen has been confirmed as the new eu chief. when she takes over from jean claudejuncker in november she says she wants to build a more united europe. the trust you place in me is confidence you placed in europe. your confidence in a united and strong europe, from is to west, from south to north. your confidence in europe that is ready to fight for the future, rather than fighting against each other. the us has announced sanctions on myanmar‘s military commander and other military leaders for alleged human rights abuses against the rohingya muslims. secretary of state mike pompeo said the burmese government had taken no action to hold to account those responsible for rights violations. hundreds of thousands of rohingya fled to neighbouring bangladesh after a brutal military

crackdown nearly a year ago. wednesday marks five years since malaysian airlines flight mhi7 was shot down with a missile over ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. the dutch—led team investigating the downing have since charged three russians and a ukrainian with shooting down the aircraft and a court date has been set for march next year. russia denies any involvement. spanish police have arrested a man at barcelona airport who had half a kilo of cocaine under his wig. well, customs officers cottoned on after noticing the colombian was wearing the rather large hairpiece under his hat. 50 years ago, three men got into a rocket with no idea if they would ever return to earth.

neil armstrong, buzz aldrin and michael collins were the trio tasked with humanity's inaugural flight to the moon. they were americans — but the whole world watched with amazement. four days and 240,000 miles later, the mission reached the moon. and we can never forget these famous words. it's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. 0ne one of the astronauts on apollo 11, michael collins, explained what ta keoff michael collins, explained what takeoff was actually like. as usn, very slowly and majestically, it's a different situation inside. you feel figgfing different situation inside. you feel jiggling left right and you won't quite sure whether those giggles are as big or as small as they should be oi’ as big or as small as they should be or how much closer they are going to put you do that launch a umbilical

tower which you very much do not wa nt to tower which you very much do not want to hit right now at that moment. so it's a totally different feeling at lift—off than — the nervous novice driving a wide vehicle down day narrow alley. that was asked michael collins. i was only three years old when it all happened 50 years ago. i talked to jane 0'brien about the highlights of today's anniversary. i want to tell you i was only three years old as well, so we're both in the same boat but the highlights have been plentiful. because people have come from all over the country, all over the world just to be on this spot that the apollo 11 launch happened 50 years ago when you and i were still three. and behind me, you can actually see the launchpad where the rocket took off and that's what people have really wanted to see.

they wanted to see the exact place, and they've been talking about how they remembered it and how some of them were even here on that memorable day and how they witnessed the rockets firing and felt the shock waves of the engines roaring. but of course, the real reminiscences came from michael collins, one of the astronauts who was actually onboard at the time. at the exact moment of the lift—off, at 9:32am our time here in america they showed pictures of that original launch which we're seeing now, and michael collins explained exactly what it was like to ride that rocket, that powerful saturn v rocket at seven miles a second, rico, into space, into orbit and eventually into the moon. it has been a magical day. magical, historical, every word that could describe it. but despite celebrating the 50th anniversary, this landmark apollo 11 mission

is not without controversy? it wasn't, and that's what's so hard to remember 50 years later. of course we celebrate the success, but at the time the astronauts only gave it a 50—50 chance. that they came back and that was a miracle in itself. this was untested technology, by definition the first time this had been attempted. it really was very, very dangerous and what we are celebrating today is notjust the scientific and technological achievement, but the bravery of those three men and the collaboration of the half a million people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure the apollo ii mission was success, so this was a story of human courage and, endeavour and exploration as much as scientific advancement. you're watching newsday on the bbc.

still to come on the programme: after long and complex surgery to separate the twin girls born joined at the head, we report on the months of rehabilitation for safa and marwa. an extraordinary story. also on the programme: a0 years on, tens of thousands of indigenous australians could be eligible to claim wages stolen from them. after months of talks and missed deadlines, a deal has been struck to keep greece within the eurozone. the immediate prospect of greece going bust, in the worst crisis to hit the eurozone, has been averted. emergency services across central europe are stepping up their efforts to contain the worst floods this century. nearly 100 people have been killed. broadway is traditionally called the "great white way" by americans, but tonight it's completely blacked out. it's a timely reminder to all americans of the problems that the energy crisis has brought to them.

leaders meet in paris for a summit on pollution, inflation, and third world debt. this morning theyjoined the revolution celebrations for a show of military might on the champs—elysees. finally, wildlife officials in australia have been coping with a penguin problem. fairy penguins have been staggering ashore and collapsing after gorging themselves on a huge shoal of their favourite food, pilchards. some had eaten so much they could barely stand. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm rico hizon in singapore. i'm kasia madera in london. our top stories: us congress has voted to condemn president trump's racist tweets. four republicans backed the motion — with feelings running high on capitol hill. at least 180 people have died in torrential monsoon rains across south asia. millions more have

been left homeless. let's take a look at some front pages from around the world. the japan times leads with the ongoing us—china trade war, which it reports is opening up a window of export opportunity for japanese businesses. the financial times has a story on the plunge of the british pound on tuesday. it reports investors are worried the strategy of the current favourite to become the next prime minister, boris johnson, could lead to a no—deal brexit. and the daily telegraph has a story about a transgender man who gave birth to a child and is now fighting the british government to register as the father. it's published this photo of freddy mcconnell — who was born a woman — after the court ruled he could be named in the case.

this week we are telling the remarkable story of twins, safa and marwa from pakistan. they were born joined at the head. surgeons in london separated the sisters over the course of three major operations, which lasted more than 50 hours. 0ur medical correspondent fergus walsh was given exclusive access over nearly a year. today we have our second report which shows how the twins were finally separated, and the months of rehabilitation that have followed. a warning: fergus' report does include pictures of the operation itself. safa and marwa share a single skull. the two—year—olds have already undergone two complex operations at great 0rmond street hospital to prepare them for separation. now, finally, that day has come. their brains, locked together since birth, are eased apart.

so this is safa's brain, that's marwa's brain. so they are separate, apart from that piece of dura? after seven hours, the final connection of bone and tissue are severed. fantastic. at last, after three major operations, the twins are no longerjoined. what was the moment like when they were separate for the first time? what did that feel like? it's a very emotional moment. we've been working a long time to get them here, they've been through so many operations, and now it's worked! so you've still got, what, four or five hours to do? yes, we have to put them together now. so we've taken them apart, and we have to reconstruct their heads. marwa is still in the operating theatre through here while safa has been moved just next door. for the first time, the survival of each of the twins is not dependent on the other. and that will make it easier for the two surgical teams

to regulate their heart rate, blood pressure and other vital signs. safa and marwa's brains used to have a distorted shape. but four months earlier a plastic sheet was inserted between them, and by gradually tightening the pressure, it has largely corrected their appearance — essential before their skills can be rebuilt. this means both teams can begin reconstruction. the patchwork of skull pieces are shared between theatres. a piece for me, a piece for you. to have enough to cover their heads, they have to divide each bit in two. the bone fragments were pieced together to form the skull of marwa on the left and safa on the right. the gaps were seeded with bone cells. these should slowly close up.

the final task is to stretch the skin over their reconstructed skulls. there's just enough to make the join. a pretty amazing day, isn't it? hi, everything is good! at 1:30 in the morning, the surgeons tell the family it's all done. # hello, safa! # hello, marwa! # how are you today?# then begins the long road to recovery. the twins have daily physiotherapy. this will help them reach some basic milestones — learning to roll, sit, and hold their heads up. # twinkle, twinkle, little star. # how i wonder what you are...# but the separation has taken its toll, especially on safa, who suffered a stroke

after one of the operations. we made the decision that the bulk of the common vessels go to marwa, the weaker twin. because of that decision, safa suffered a stroke. what i really want to see is the weakness that safa has at the moment, and she has a weakness in her left arm and left leg, improves. so for me, the big moment is going to be when she walks and when she uses her left arm properly. because, you know, i have given her that weakness, and for me, that is a hard thing. five months after separation, nearly a year since they were admitted to hospital, the girls are leaving great 0rmond street. time to say goodbye to doctors and nurses who have become friends. until the twins are well enough to return to pakistan, they'll stay in london — all paid for by the donor who funded their surgery. the twins are likely to have some learning difficulties, but their mum, zeinab, is overjoyed at the freedom separation has brought.

whatever hurdles safa and marwa may face in years to come, they will at least do that as separate, independent girls. twins still, but conjoined no more. fergus walsh, bbc news. and in our final report tomorrow we'll meet another set of twins oncejoined at the head, who were separated by the same surgical team. tens of thousands of indigenous australians could be eligible to join a class action

to recover wages stolen from them more than a0 years ago. up until the 1970s, governments across australia withheld part, and in some cases all, of wages earned by aboriginal workers. this month, the state of queensland agreed to pay almost $130 million in compensation to 10,000 people affected. here's jan saddler — the head of litigation and loss recovery at shine lawyers — explaining why governments withheld wages in the first place. i think it is consistent with the view that a lot of colonial—type governments took many years ago, and that is because they believed they were protecting the rights of aboriginal people and their entitlement to wages. a0 years they haven't been paid. you have been travelling and talking to people affected by this wage theft. what has been the response? the response has been overwhelming to the team who have been out on the ground in wa

and the northern territory recently. people are outraged that wages have been withheld for not just a0 years but a lot longer. this legislation was in place for a long time, and there are people who are still alive who had their wages withheld from the 19a0s and 1950s. this month, queensland agreed to pay $1a0 million in compensation to 10,000 aboriginal people affected. is this enough or not enough? it is not enough, ever. you have to weigh up the circumstances of the case. every class action is hardfought, so when a settlement is achievable on the terms everyone can live with, you do your best to bring about that settlement. so after a0 years, how can governments around australia make this right?

they can make it right by responding in a positive way to proceedings that we propose bringing in the other states and territories where this legislation existed. of course there are challenges to mounting a class action suit, what are some of these? every class action is hard, they are not straightforward. they involve large numbers of people, and in a case like this where the events took place a long time ago there are often very few documents available. fortunately, indigenous people have long memories and that is a great advantage to us. and we'll leave you with images of some unexpected customers at a sushi shop in new zealand's capital. these two little blue penguins were discovered hiding beneath the shop. police were called when the their cover was blown

after they were heard making cooing sounds. it is true to say that weather does not stop at a country's borders. if we take a look at what happened on sunday here in the uk, south—east england we had some grey and boring skies. a bit of rain around, cold air brought in by the jetstream that reactivated an old weather front to bring that wet weather. yesterday later, that cold air had reached the warm waters of the mediterranean, with a waterspout in bastia in corsica. we had 13 times the amount of rain they would normally see in the whole month ofjuly falling in one day. right now, severe thunderstorms battering parts of greece. a severe weather warning in place for much of the country, damaging winds and large hail.

elsewhere, high pressure holding onto the south—east of the uk, but low pressure spinning in of the atlantic, and increasingly over the next few hours we will see rain turning heavier and steadier in northern ireland, and turning quite damp as well in western scotland. 0therwise, dry start to the day. temperatures 10—15. some sunshine for eastern scotland and northern ireland. through the rest of the day, it will turn wet across western fringes of england in one, the rain getting into scotland, cooler air across the north and west of the country. some sunshine for the south—east, with high temperatures up to 26 degrees. it could be very slow to clear, but eventually we will get there, and some sunshine follows. on thursday, a day of heavy showers moving into the north and west of the country. on friday, another area of low pressure swinging in off

the atlantic, again this will bring some wet weather across northern ireland, western parts of england and wales, and perhaps into southern parts of scotland. many of us will see some rain at some point in the day. temperatures a little bit below par for this time of year. as we head into the weekend, that area of low pressure moves through, further troughing bringing further showers and rain. we could see some rain around as we head into the weekend.

i'm kasia madera with bbc world news. our top story. the house of representatives has voted to condemn several republicans backed the motion following his recent attacks on four democratic congresswomen. mr trump says they "hate" america, and "can leave if they want to" but insists he doesn't have "a racist bone in his body". it's 50 years since the apollo 11 crew blasted off from florida on their mission to put the first man on the moon. events to mark the launch are taking place across the us. and the remarkable story of a set of conjoined twins has caught people's attention online. safa and marwa from pakistan were bornjoined at the head. the bbc was given exclusive access as doctors in london successfully separated the two sisters. they are recovering. that's all. stay with bbc world news.