this is bbc news. the headlines at 9. as tributes continue to pour in for the love island presenter, caroline flack, her management have criticised the crown prosecution service for refusing to drop charges that she assaulted her boyfriend. caroline flack‘s boyfriend lewis burton says his "heart is broken" and that "we had something so special" as heavy rain and strong winds continue to [ash large parts of the uk, a number of severe flood warnings have been issued in scotland and wales — meaning there's a danger to life. here in south wales villagers have had to be evacuated because of severe flooding as a consequence of storm dennis. american citizens quarantined on a cruise ship injapan, are to be flown home —

after a jump in the number of new cases of cronavirus on board. and in sport, premier league leaders liverpool beat norwich city 1—0 at to go 25 points clear at the top of the table — just five more wins will give them the title. and in our sunday morning edition of the papers is at 9.35 — this morning's reviewers are anne ashworth, the former associate editor of the times, and business journalistjohn crowley. good morning. caroline flack‘s management team have criticised the crown prosecution service for pressing ahead with a case against her for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend — saying it had caused her significant distress, and hadn't been in the public interest. the presenter of the itv reality show love island took her own life at her home in east london yesterday.

this morning on instagram, her boyfriend posted that he was heartbroken by the news. it's the return of the flack! love island, x factor, i'm a celebrity — caroline flack was a presenter on some of the biggest programmes on british television. she was, until a few weeks ago, the face of love island's glamorous, escapist fun. let's talk love. who's looking for the real thing? everything, though, had unravelled after she was arrested and charged with the assault of her boyfriend. in court in december, it was clear that she was deeply distressed. yesterday, she was found dead at her flat. her lawyer said she had ta ken her own life. friends and colleagues have spoken of their shock and heartbreak. love island is a show that thrives on its impact on social media, and after the news emerged, thousands have been expressing their grief and sympathy. but her court appearance was proof enough that she had, before this, been facing intense scrutiny — both in the press and online. on its best days, social media

is a very powerful tool for these presenters because they can effortlessly and immediately communicate with so many different fans and really bring their own personality to the fore. the problem is that on the bad days, that scrutiny and attention doesn't go away. it stays with them. the macdonut brothers! her tv career went back nearly 20 years. this, tmi on children's bbc, and then, in 2014, she won strictly come dancing. the night she won, there was elation. but she spoke afterwards of her struggle with depression. then came the assault charge. she was accused of hitting her boyfriend while he slept. he stood by her, but they weren't allowed to communicate before her forthcoming trial. last night, her management team criticised the decision to press ahead with the trial, given her mental state. the crown prosecution service said its deepest sympathies go to the family and friends of caroline flack, but added that given the tragic circumstances, it would not comment further on the specifics of

the case at this stage. caroline flack had in recent weeks been advised to stay off social media, but she did post this on instagram. she thanked those who had been kind to her and added... another post read simply... our correspondent angus crawford is here. you angus crawford is here. have been looking at the tributes you have been looking at the tributes paid to caroline flack and some of the anger that is starting to be expressed. her friends and family and fans are devastated. there is an element of anger on social media directed at the media generally its potential role, also at the crown prosecution service. her boyfriend posted recently,

saying his heart was broken, we have something special. he also said at the end of the post, i was not allowed to be there. i kept asking kept asking and asking, and that refers to the fact the court decided she was not allowed contact with him head of the trial in march. her management company are clearly angry with the cps and said they pursued this when they knew how vulnerable she was and they described it as a potential show trial. there is creeping in a sense that the cps may have been at fault that she was a victim —— mac and she was a victim of media intrusion in her life. we do not know the whole circumstances when someone takes their life and cannot know what was going through her mind she took the decision she took but inevitably there will be questions asked about the cps decision and about the support she had from itv, from herfriends and family, and of course about the

issue of whether social media might have played a role, because there has been posting about her case. bearing in mind during her career, she started as a children's tv presenter. she has had to live her life in the spotlight and that comes with a heavy cost. that seems clear. she lived her life publicly. she wa nted she lived her life publicly. she wanted to present, she was very good at it and very popular. but being in that sphere means you are under co nsta nt su rveilla nce by that sphere means you are under constant surveillance by social media and the media itself. it is important to note herfriends, fans, celebrities, this is at the moment for them. they are devastated. her former co—host olly murs said my heart is for ever broken, i have lost something i will never get back. that seems to me where the thoughts of friends and family are

today. love island has expressed condolences. what about the programme itself? no programme this weekend as a mark of respect. programme itself? no programme this weekend as a mark of respectm programme itself? no programme this weekend as a mark of respect. it was taken off last night so we do not know. we do not know whether it will run. clearly, it is laura whitmore now presenting it. she took over when caroline flack was full to stand down. this is now the fourth death associated with love island, of those who have taken their own lives. itv put out a statement saying its thoughts are with friends and family and described her as a much loved member of the love island team. we cannot necessarily say they are connected with the programme, it happens to be four people directly or indirectly have had this sad end to their lives. angus crawford, thank you. ash percival, the entertainment editor of huff post, had worked with caroline. he said the passion caroline had for love island

really shone through. she was fun, she was energetic. the laughter is how i will always remember caroline. that trademark cackle. the news is absolutely shocking. it is devastating. i have interviewed caroline on multiple occasions. i have flown out to majorca and we have shared our theories. people we want to see couple up. the passion and warmth and energy she had for that show shone through. i think that is how she will be remembered. if you or someone you know has been affected by the issues raised this morning, you can find help and support on the bbc‘s actionline website. more than 300 flood warnings have been issued today, as storm dennis continues to batter the uk, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. the met office has issued a red

warning for rain in south wales, meaning the situation could be ‘life threatening', with risk of damage to property and infrastructure. around 170 flights have been cancelled already today, affecting around 25,000 passengers. rail passengers are being urged to check trains amid expected delays and cancellations, with some roads already closed due to flooding. the railway line in devon is blocked. here is footage from a coastguard team in hampshire on their way to rescue a stranded motorist, and relentless rain in the yorkshire dales. meanwhile in south wales and devon, people's homes are in serious risk, as rainwater floods properties. julie foley from the environment agency says that the situation across the country is changing rapidly and that people should heed all the warnings. it's a very fast—moving, developing the situation at the moment. so it is very important that people keep a close eye on flood warnings.

and pay attention to the advice of the emergency services. we have hundreds of flood warnings and flood alerts out across the whole of the country. also particular focus on those parts of the country like the calder valley that was affected by storm ciara last weekend. actually, this is a national event and it will be affecting other parts of the country. around the thames, we have particular concerns about properties around tenbury. as well as parts of the west midlands. it is important people stay vigilant and pay attention to their flood warnings. in a moment will talk to, leanne brown in mytholmroyd. but first let's go to tomos morgan, who is in tonna in the neath valley. it sounds like there have been serious disruption, in parts of wales, in places elsewhere, as well as where you are. let me tell you about where i am in the south wales

valleys. this area has been hit with a red warning. that happened in 2018 and we have not seen one since then, it is rare. it is affecting things like this river that has burst its banks here and it has affected a row of houses just over here. we cannot get to them because the road is com pletely get to them because the road is completely flooded. at aam, the emergency services were called and when we arrived they were still here and a bus was taking residents to safety to a nearby sport centre. a few have decided to remain in their houses, but we understand the majority have been taken to safety. this is one of the few areas in wales hit with a severe flood warning. wales has 76 of those 300 flood warning so an area of the uk badly damaged by storm dennis, a week after storm ciara hit coastal

towns in the west side of wales. what is the picture looking like? is the rain are easing and they are therefore containing what water therefore containing what water there is, or do they expect further downpours? they expect more rain and the red warning is in place until 11. it has ceased for the time being but the morning by the met office is in place until 11am and then there is an amberwarning in place until 11am and then there is an amber warning extending to around 3pm and a yellow warning for the rest of the day. there will be rainfor the rest of the day. there will be rain for the majority across wales and when it strikes it will strike worst in the south wales valleys. i have been speaking to someone on twitter he rented a house in another area stop they cannot get out, they area stop they cannot get out, they are stuck upstairs due to flood water coming in. in pontypridd, the

high street is completely flooded. pictures on social media of cars under water. rugby clubs, sports fields underwater. no doubt there will be repercussions in the ongoing week just from the will be repercussions in the ongoing weekjust from the downpour in the last 2a hours. weekjust from the downpour in the last 24 hours. thank you. our reporter leanne brown is here. in the calder valley this morning . the area suffered flooding last weekend . people here in mytholmroyd petrified of that happening again. it is an improving picture and hasjust stopped raining and that was persistent for the past 2a hours. by the river at the moment, it is fast flowing, but levels are dropping. about 2.7 metres. it needs to be

about 3.8 metres for flooding to happen so it is being contained. it has been helped by the temporary flood barriers put in place by the army. they have been here all weekend to help with the efforts. that has been welcomed by residents here, who are pretty exhausted following storm ciara last weekend. roads were turned into rivers here and hundreds of properties and businesses were affected. they will continue with that clean—up. i am told the army has left. there are reservists on standby, if there is to be an emergency. there are plenty of volu nteers to be an emergency. there are plenty of volunteers and flood wardens, who have been working through the night here. across the rest of yorkshire, there are concerns. the river ouse is very high and there are more than 30 flood warnings in the region and

an amberwarning for 30 flood warnings in the region and an amber warning for rain until 3pm. so this area is not out of the woods just yet and the advice still is to be prepared. thank you. conditions on the roads are expected to be tricky — so what happens if you are out and about today? i'm joined now via webcam by rod dennis, from rac breakdown . good morning, what is the update in terms of roads at the moment? rbc enclosures? a lot of closures across the country. south wales appears to be particularly hit. the m511 is shut and closures in the west midlands and closures in the west midlands and down into hampshire on the south coast. it is a mixed picture. our advice this morning is do not be fooled by if the rain has stopped outside, it does not mean you will

have a straightforward journey. there are significant problems and they are likely to develop so people need to be on their guard. given what the met office say, the storm itself will not have completely departed until possibly lunchtime tomorrow. so there is a possibility the morning rush hour on monday could be hard going. yes, we expect impacts and in these conditions it isa impacts and in these conditions it is a rapidly changing situation. drivers need to be careful. do not drive through flood water. listen to the flood alerts. all the advice given out. and the environment agency, as well. listen to those and plan your journey carefully. agency, as well. listen to those and plan yourjourney carefully. you may not be covered for insurance if you deliberately drive into a flood so do what you can to stay safe and do not put yourself or passengers to

unnecessary danger. that is a good point. people assume insurance cove rs point. people assume insurance covers them for all eventualities, but if you go ahead, the view is you have been reckless about it, then the insurance will not pay out. that would be a difficult conversation to have with your insurance company. they are difficult situations at the moment. the good news is temperatures are mild. we are not seeing vast numbers of breakdowns across the country, but we have people waiting for assistance in places like south wales, the borders, west midlands. we expect to see that sort of breakdown today but do not put yourself into any danger. it is easy to be lulled into a false sense of security when you look at the window and it is not raining. if you are travelling distance, you are in rural roots, it is likely you will reach roads affected by

flooding. one question posed by this, it is half term. a certain amount of traffic would be on the roads anyway. given the weather conditions, do you tend to have more vehicles on standby on a weekend like this when you know there will be heavy traffic anyway, and also a severe weather warning. how do you organise your cells? we do. storm ciara and storm dennis have been well forecast and we knew they were coming which meant we could get people in the right position. we have the right equipment for these breakdowns. we have heavy duty vehicle patrols. but we cannot put our patrols‘ lives in danger any more than normal drivers should put themselves in danger so we have to be careful attending breakdowns but we will go out wherever we can. rod dennis, thank you.

and for the latest information on storm dennis n your area, you can find out more, on your local bbc online pages. or, tune in, to your local radio station. the us government says it‘s sending two aircraft to japan on sunday to evacuate american citizens quarantined on board a giant cruise ship in the japanese port of yokohama. there are now 355 cases of the coronavirus infection from the ship. china has insisted the outbreak of the virus is gradually coming under control after the latest figures showed a drop in the number of new cases for the third consecutive day. our correspondent rupert wingfield hayes is in yokohama where the virus infected ship is in port. presumably that is it behind you.

the situation on board seems to have got worse, not just the situation on board seems to have got worse, notjust because people have been stuck for days on end. presumably the food is more basic than they started with, and they are bored, it is the spread of the virus seems to be getting worse. that is right. that is the diamond princess behind me. you are right, the worrying thing for people quarantined on board and for their national governments is the fact in the past two days we have seen a dramatic rise in the number of cases of infection recorded on board the ship. today, the japanese government have announced 70 new cases and in the 24 have announced 70 new cases and in the 2a hours before that 67 new cases. we are 12 days into the quarantine. they are supposed to be on another three days and by this stage people expected the number of infections dropping off, if the quarantine was working as it should

be. i think this has raised the concern of the american government. their statement about the evacuation flights they are organising is clear that they do not think american citizens on board the ship are safe and that there is a danger the infection is still circulating and new infections are happening on the ship. that is why they have sent the aircraft which are due to touch down infour aircraft which are due to touch down in four hours. buses have been arriving in the past couple of hours to ta ke arriving in the past couple of hours to take american citizens. they will be taken to the airport onto the evacuation flights and flowing we understand california and to a military base where they will be tested and quarantined there instead. is there indication from the british government about why it thinks about the british people on board and if they are in danger. we have had a statement from the foreign office and they say, the

statement says the british government shares the same concerns as the americans and they are examining, together with the japanese government, what options there are for 57 british passengers and the british crew on board the ship. they have not said whether they will have an evacuation flight yet. there are logistical problems with this because if you put potentially well passengers together with people who might be infected and put them on the plane together, of course there is a danger there could be infection on the evacuation flight. could be infection on the evacuation flight. the americans have sophisticated logistical abilities and are sending military aircraft with military personnel in hazmat suits and they will be evacuated under quarantine conditions. it is not clear britain has the same capability. the canadian, hong kong and taiwan government have also said they will organise flights, so the pressure is on for britain to respond as well. in terms of the age

of the people on board we know from what is happening in china older people are more vulnerable, so a frightening time for the passengers, effectively locked in cabins, told they have to stay in their cabins. they are not spending time with each other. they see what is reported and no it is an illness that can be fatal and they are more vulnerable if they are older. it must be scary for them. absolutely and we have spoken to different people on the ship over the past days. you can start to notice the anxiety rising, particularly as each day they have seen particularly as each day they have seen the figures for infections going up. i spoke to an american couple today and they were packing their bags. i can tell you the relief they felt that their government was sending them help, they said to me, you know, the us marine corps is on its way and we

are going home and we cannot wait to get on that plane. so yes there is anxiety, particularly amongst the older passengers. there are people in their70s, 80s, even older passengers. there are people in their 70s, 80s, even 90s among the passenger list. as you say, so far this virus, from what we know, and there is a lot we do not know, we know it seems to be particularly dangerous for elderly people, people who have any lung or heart problems. so anyone with underlying health conditions will be anxious about this. thank you. tributes have been paid to the former host of love island, caroline flack, after she was found dead in her london flat. a lawyer for her family said she had taken her own life. she‘d been facing trial next month on charges of assaulting her boyfriend. many of those who have been paying tribute have been urging for greater kindness towards people going through difficult circumstances. honey langcaster—james

is a psychologist who has worked on love island and is now director of services at on set welfare. very good to see you, i‘m sorry it is in these circumstances. i wonder what your observations are on caroline‘s story this morning. what your observations are on caroline's story this morning. like many people i was shocked and saddened. your heart immediately goes out to her family and friends, but doing what i do for a living, i was mindful of the many colleagues she had across the industry. people who do not work in television do not realise there are cruise involved in shows like love island, strictly and other shows she has worked on. and of course she was very well liked across the industry, we are hearing. my across the industry, we are hearing. my thoughts are also with those people because there has been talk in the media linking... people speculating really what this was all

about. as a psychologist that is something i would caution against. we should not speculate what led up to this. what we do know about people suffering with mental health and particular people who tragically ta ke and particular people who tragically take their life, there is often a lot of factors that lead up to that time. we know because caroline flack told us this, that she had had mental health issues in the past. when you are dealing with a situation like that, someone with potential vulnerability, what is the best way to talk to them about their feelings? the difficulty i have encountered with people who have talked about this before, is there isa talked about this before, is there is a natural tendency like grief to say i do not want to make it worse for somebody, so let‘s not talk about it. somebody you love dies and nobody wants to mention their name because they think they will upset you. what about somebody in that situation, when you are trying to

give them support? i'm glad you asked that question. that is when something tragic like this happens, it opens up the conversation, and we are rolling out training in mental health first aid and we do it for producers, people in television, but these skills are something you could use at home. one of the first things we teach is not to be afraid to have that conversation. you are right, the hardest thing is when people are not given a voice. when people go through things that are difficult, we know they need and opportunity, outlet, to speak about how they feel and to have that met in a non—judgemental way. unfortunately, there is still stigma around mental health. sometimes people are well—meaning, but they can say, that is not a problem. and it can be experienced as invalidating. i say try to have empathy, warmth, try to

not be afraid by what someone is telling you, because if someone is telling you, because if someone is telling you, because if someone is telling you something, that already isa telling you something, that already is a good sign they are able to vent. it is when people do not tell you things it is a problem. then we get to a point of what do we watch out for in our nearest and dearest? signs of withdrawal from usual activities people enjoyed. if people in your social circle stop going on social media. send a message and say, i have noticed you have not been around, are you ok, shall we meet up? those kinds of practical things. there are other things, obvious signs of low mood. people perhaps struggling with sleep. people having a change of appetite. a lot of signs. first, there is good education and advice. there are some good organisations such as nhs,

mind, the samaritans, good resources out there to educate yourself on what to look out for, the signs, and how to best respond. but do not feel like you have to step into the role of therapist because you are not trained to do that. what you are wanting to do, like if someone has cut their hand, you want to get a sticking plaster on it long enough to get someone to the appropriate help. it is the same with mental health. do not feel you have to be that person‘s entire source of support but help them enough to get to the right place for support. thank you. and we‘ll be taking an in—depth look at the papers with our reviewers, and how this story has been reported. that is with... anne ashworth who is a property and personal finance commentator and the business journalistjohn crowley.

and now the weather. strong winters have affected many parts of the uk thanks to storm dead is. it seems as if rain has caused bigger problems. there is a red warning issued for parts of south wales with rain falling on flooded areas and a risk to life. numerous flood warnings. through this afternoon, outbreaks of rain particularly across the south and east of england. further north and east of england. further north and west, things try and brighten up but there will still be showers. in scotla nd but there will still be showers. in scotland particularly, heavy and thundery and wintry over high ground. turning colder as the day goes on. tonight as low—pressure passes close to northern scotland, more strong winds with gusts up to 75 mph. that could cause some damage. over the next couple of days, windy with a mixture of sunshine and showers.