this is bbc news, the headlines: hundreds of passengers are leaving the diamond princess cruise ship. they've been quarantined on board for more than two weeks as the vessel grappled with the biggest outbreak of corona virus outside of mainland china. so far 542 passengers have been infected. the former mayor of new york city, michael bloomberg, has qualified for the democratic presidential debate in nevada on wednesday. it's the first time the billionaire will appear on stage alongside his rivals. a national opinion poll has placed him in second behind bernie sanders. the jury in the trial of harvey weinstein has begun its deliberations, after the judge delivered a warning to the hollywood producer's lawyer following a magazine article

in which she wrote jurors should "do what they know is right". she said the piece was not intended to address the jury directly. now on bbc news, it's tiem for hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur. the designer catwalk and the glossy magazine cover are powerful cultural signifiers. the top models who occupy those spaces are deemed to have a look that attracts and sells. but how diverse is that look? how inclusive? my how inclusive? my guest is halima aden. a supermodel who challenged a host of stereotypes. she is a refugee from somalia's civil war. she's muslim and follows

a modest dress code. hers has been an extraordinary journey to international fame and fortune. how's it changed her? theme music plays. halima aden, welcome to hardtalk. thank you, stephen. your life has undergone the most extraordinary transformation in recent years. do you still feel a strangeness of it all or you becoming used to it?|j you still feel a strangeness of it all or you becoming used to it? i do not think you can ever get used

to fashion. it is a different world and so fashion. it is a different world and so different to the world come from. every day there is something new. so different to the world come from. every day there is something newm is important to go back to the beginnings of this story. you came to america with your mother when you we re to america with your mother when you were just seven years old. do you have much of a recollection of what life was like that refugee camp in northern kenya. katuma was surprisingly a great childhood. despite having obstacles like malaria and not knowing where your food is going to come from, it is a refugee camp so definitely not an ideal place to raise a family but thank god i experienced it because a community and the values it installed to be i still carry with me. i think a lot of people would be surprised at those wells. surely it was riddled with insecurity and

poverty? yes, not knowing... it is ironic because i am in fashion and so ironic because i am in fashion and so in my childhood we were scrapping to find shoes. i showed would last us to find shoes. i showed would last us for months. it is night and day from where i come from but you cannot take away the fact that the community made it vibrant. 66% women and children so we're talking a very nurturing, protective environment and they made up for it in love and support. that sense of community obviously was taken away from you when you and your mum made that amazing journey, first i think to st louis, missouri and later he moved to minnesota you went to someone so com pletely to minnesota you went to someone so completely different, you lost all your friends and that community you had. how did you cope? it was hard. i recall the happiness, thejoy. i

was a vibrant kid, even in the. i felt like a bright kid and to leave that world behind and come to missouri and not only the most impoverished communities in st louis, very tough, very tough first year with a lot of adjustment. when you are a child, you are not told what legal status is. i just you are a child, you are not told what legal status is. ijust knew that was my reality. what is so striking about your story is that by the time you get to teenage, you are a pretty strong willed kid. first of all you make a big decision quite early in your schooling in the states, to where a headscarf, to cover your hair. why did you do that? so my mum, did not grow up with my dad in my life. my mum was the epitome of strength,

beauty, everything i wanted to be and i wa nted everything i wanted to be and i wanted to mirror her even as a young girl. it is as simple as that. when you're kid puts on lipstick at six because icy mum wearing her lipstick to work and i wanted to resemble her and that was part of my identity. i grew up seeing lots of women wearing the hijab and it was just natural for me. we talk a lot about yourself and you commitment to where you came from. as many would say you dress modestly. that does not sit to fit naturally with your decision. in your freshman year in college you made a decision to enter the miss minnesota usa pageant. what possessed you? minnesota usa pageant. what possessed you ? it minnesota usa pageant. what possessed you? it is a great platform. for what? a scholarship.

$10,000, even if you do not wind the competition you can get away with $15,000 in scholarship. what did your mother make of it? my mother was like, what! one of the themes is a degree to which you can navigate what you want to do in life and stay true to your community, your traditions... your roots... your family. your mother, when she is thinking of swimsuits and that contest, did she say, you should not do that? many times and even with modelling, that was another hurdle. she had a hard time when i said i wa nted she had a hard time when i said i wanted to enter modelling, she thought you could have been a teacher, a lawyer, a doctor, all these incredible things, your path could have been so much

better, in her eyes. we almost have to throw it back at her. you did a greatjob as a parent because you instilled in me the confidence to pursue my passions andi the confidence to pursue my passions and i am still not forget the roots where i come from. i am a unicef ambassador. i did not grow up with representation. when you went to the beauty pageant, did you deliberately think that i am going to go and compete but with the scarf on, with the hijab, and i am going to be different? for me it was never really that. it was mostly... i think it is amazing if you can walk into whatever it is and be yourself and that is exactly what i was. i where the hijab, (for a long time and it is part of who i am. —— i have been wearing it. i

did not want to strip it only to fit in. i am so grateful the organisation still allowed me to participate and walk away with such an incredible experience and remain myself. you got spotted by one of the great fashion... it went from zero to 100 miles per hour right after the patient. we completely change my life overnight. i can imagine but actually i cannot imagine. they were, ina actually i cannot imagine. they were, in a small town in minnesota and within weeks you were on the new york catwalk... my first trip to new york. i had not travelled for vocation. all these things happening. all these incredible things, working for yeezy... night and day from saint cloud which is more of a jintao,

college town, very laid—back, relaxed. more of a jintao, college town, very laid-back, relaxed. the difficulty is that you are entering a huge interesting with vast amounts of money and it is something of a machine and it turns through beautiful young women and men who are part of the sales product. did you feel at any point you were losing control? this is why i wish i mum could see. you should be so proud because, even though i come from a small town, fashion is exciting, it is everything but i still went into that meeting with my agency willing to walk away if it meant confirming, if it meant changing my value and who i was. i made it clear they accepted me for just who i was. for our meeting. they said you have got something that you could do so much more for example if you not prepared to model without the headscarf. that was not

even a question. for our meeting to talk about wardrobe because how is this going to work? i am the first hijab wearing model. it is not as simple as putting on the couple. what happens backstage. most models are very comfortable with exposing quite a bit of flesh and it is relaxed backstage. iam quite a bit of flesh and it is relaxed backstage. i am guessing that when you emphasise modesty as being important to you, your approach is different. being important to you, your approach is differentlj being important to you, your approach is different. i will give you an example. i was travelling with a female companion, whether my manager, publicist, assistant. since the beginning. it is so amazing so the beginning. it is so amazing so the people who were the patient organises ended up managing me. it has been a smooth relationship from day one. two women who travel the world with me and i have never gone ona trip, world with me and i have never gone on a trip, shoot, you name

it, without them by my side. they are the ones who change me back stage, who are constantly with me and that was intentional because it is a lonely world, you are by yourself travelling base, i cannot even imagine how some of these girls are doing it that it is also protection for me because i have somebody who is with me, a female companion at all times. i read somewhere that in one of your first photo shoot you we re one of your first photo shoot you were taken aback when a photographer said to you, give me sexy. if you know my personality, i do not think i have a single sexy phone in my body. it is going to look very awkward. i am thinking of your family back home in minnesota... my mother would be like, what! and your aunt came up with a withering

comment, you mean in america walking around in hills is a job!|j comment, you mean in america walking around in hills is ajob! i wanted to ta ke around in hills is ajob! i wanted to take the road less travelled. as an individual, it is ok to map out your life according to you.|j an individual, it is ok to map out your life according to you. i get what you have said to me about insisting on control and doing things your way but lead us being realistic that i should be realistic. your entering an industry which is highly sexualised and women and young men can be objectified and you are trying to navigate that with the values that do not match. are you sure you have been able to do it? i have, i have because i have not moved. the first meeting, four hours, do not walk into that meeting saying give me fashion. i want to do fashion but it has to be on my own terms and my own way. i was willing to walk away and that is

part of the reason why i have gotten the success i have and still remain true to myself. i said i have and still remain true to myself. isaid i i have and still remain true to myself. i said i am not moving to new york, i am not moving to milano, toa new york, i am not moving to milano, to a fashion capital, i am going to stay home in minnesota and even today i am still in minnesota. do you want to be seen as the muslim supermodel? i do not even want to be seen as a supermodel? i do not even want to be seen as a supermodel but a girl who is not afraid to be the first, who is not afraid to be the first, who is confident, who does not forget her roots but i really did not care about those type of labels to be honest. do they annoy you? no, it is flattering and really kind. honest. do they annoy you? no, it is flattering and really kindm honest. do they annoy you? no, it is flattering and really kind. it also opens up the discussion and i am wondering whether you have experienced it yourself, on social media for example, do you ever get muslims who look at the world you have entered and who criticise you 01’ have entered and who criticise you or abuse and say as a sister you

should not be there? you will have those people and i think sometimes, i think life is so short and it sounds cliched butjust focus on what brings you joy and go after those little things and for me it has now become this. this is my life now and i am happy, iam not hurting anybody, iem using my plate to try to shine light, my work with unicef, where i came from, the refugee crisis, something that has nothing to do with passion and clothes and the runway... feel like iam clothes and the runway... feel like i am someone that i wouldn't mind if my little sister followed me an gram because i can say i am proud of the content because i can say i am proud of the co nte nt i because i can say i am proud of the content i am putting out. there is the sense of becoming more inclusive, do you find it becoming more inclusive and diverse

in terms of the real power brokers, the people who run the scenes, honestly, can we be doing more? absolutely. every single day. i think there is so every single day. i think there is so much we can still improve on but you kind of step back and say, we are ata you kind of step back and say, we are at a good place now and fashion. iamso are at a good place now and fashion. i am so proud to bejoining the industry today because i am seeing models who is 72 years old, killing it on the runway and the magazine covers, it shows that beauty doesn't go away after a certain age, men are lucky, salt is attractive when you age, but for women, as you probably know, that isn't the same so i am happy we have women like may who are the face of fashion. winnie harlow, ashley graham with body positivity, so ashley graham with body positivity, so many bases out there that are

marking the conversation. behind the scenes, i'm not so sure. that's the way i'm interested in, the people who are running the magazines, the agencies, these people. do you see the same level of diversity there.|j do, i really do. michelle lee who is an asian woman and the editor and chief of a lower magazine, the head of british vogue, all of these incredible people, people at the forefront of creating that conversation and behind—the—scenes, iam conversation and behind—the—scenes, i am grateful that we have those people. what about social media? you have a huge following on instagram. you clearly have a look that many young people around the world would like to emulate but there is a real concern that young people, in this thinking out of perfection, trying

to change themselves to match the models that they see on instagram, they are actually getting themselves into a very difficult place mentally. i think we have the responsibility to inform the public that these magazine covers that you are seeing, it took us 1a hours to shoot. a lot goes into the behind—the—scenes. shoot. a lot goes into the behind-the-scenes. it's peddling a fa ntasy, behind-the-scenes. it's peddling a fantasy, in a way. but i didn't know this before a joint industry, a never put into my, it never crossed my mind the hours, the production. you have so many people running around doing their job, you have so many people running around doing theirjob, 1a hour days sometimes, and it is not as simple as, we got the shot, everyone can go home. euro 22-year-old young woman andi home. euro 22-year-old young woman and i was just wondering what you would pay to the many other young people who feel that they don't look good enough, and i'm just thinking of the words that i've read from a cosmetic doctor, there is a hugely prevalent trend of young people

asking for bigger lips and contoured cheeks and all sorts of other things ina bed cheeks and all sorts of other things in a bed to emulate what they see through filters on instagram. that's funny that you, the whole. .. through filters on instagram. that's funny that you, the whole... it's funny that you, the whole... it's funny that you brought that up because when i was younger a never use this mail with my left, because i got made fun of having fuller lips, so it's funny how years later, there are so many challenges trying to achieve fuller lips and i was like, what happened? because when i was younger that was never the standard of beauty. you almost have two look at these things and call it out for what it is, it is man—made. and you should never compare yourself to anybody. let me talk about modesty, you have become very specific about certain items of clothing that you are

committed to. iam thinking clothing that you are committed to. i am thinking of what has been become known as the burkini. you are invited to become part of the sports illustrated swimsuit edition.” never thought i would see the day! i'd bet your mother never thought so either. you are modelling a burkini, some would say that even by being pa rt some would say that even by being part of that swimsuit tradition, you are part of something that is damaging to women, because it is a form of male gaze, objectification. iam going form of male gaze, objectification. i am going to have to disagree with that, only because it is empowerment. we were talking earlier about behind the scenes. a woman who is bucking the conversation and so much beyond than girls on a beach taking photos. it is led by a woman,

for women, these women entrepreneurs. tyra banks just for women, these women entrepreneurs. tyra banksjust got back and she was one of cover girls and she is a woman, an example, chrissy teigen, ashley graham, this magazine sparked a career for them. i'm just wondering if you see a market opportunity here to reach out to women who want to look good but wa nt to women who want to look good but want also that element of modesty that i know you have started working with retailers of turbans and scarves , with retailers of turbans and scarves, is that something you think women need? far beyond the cultural tradition that goes with islam in the parts of the world that you come from, it could reach a much wider audience? 10096, from, it could reach a much wider audience? 100%, only because modesty is not for one culture. it is not for one group of women. modesty is a fashion staple, it

has been around since the beginning of time and it will be around for another hundred yea rs. will be around for another hundred years. i'm not saying it needs to be a hijab and a turban for it to be considered modesty. like beauty, i think you define it for yourself. people for example in france, those who railed against macro three on the beat... i think that is so sad. ifa the beat... i think that is so sad. if a woman wearing a swimsuit threatens french values that much because of an article of clothing, what does that say about the values, to begin with? and i think it is also unfair that it is women dealing with these things, being arrested from public pools for wearing a swimsuit. i want to end, as a promised i would, talking about your return. you have become a unicef goodwill ambassador and you were invited back to the camp you

came from in northern kenya. what did it feel like? it was a whirlwind of emotions. went all the stages with that trip, because i went back at 21,1 that trip, because i went back at 21, ithink that trip, because i went back at 21, i think i was 21, right? it was my first time coming home and i was seven my first time coming home and i was seve n years my first time coming home and i was seven years old the last time it was there, running around with all these amazing memories but a different lens to come back as an adult and to say, wow! it is horrific. it has grown so say, wow! it is horrific. it has grown so much, it has almost doubled in size since my family left and in fa ct in size since my family left and in fact there were people still in the camp when they got back and that broke my heart because, how is it possible in this day and age, there are still refugee camps, but it was so are still refugee camps, but it was so beautiful because the work has been done. your mum once said to you, why don't you become a doctor because then you can work with agencies like unicef and help people. see,

mum?! you are now an internationally famous model. really, genuinely, do you think in your life you can make a difference to people who live in that camp.” think so, and it is coming from a selfish place sai was who has walked in my shoes, could come back to the camp and look me in my face and say this is what hope is, you deserve a better life outside of the camp, you deserve to dream big and prosper and i hope that one day we get to a place where organisations like unicef are not needed because every child has exactly what they deserve. and itjust child has exactly what they deserve. and it just breaks child has exactly what they deserve. and itjust breaks my heart when i think of some of these numbers, yeah, it gets me so emotional but icy the hope and a hope more success stories like my own, they are out there stopping because refugees are resilient people. they are strong minded people, people who have so much to give, so much love to get. when i went

back, the kids were dancing and singing and you asked me how is it possible to still have a happy childhood despite living in a refugee camp, and a realised these people don't have access to many of the things that we take for granted every single day but they have something so beautiful in their spirits that no—one can take away from them stopping a government, no nothing. and that is a gift. halima aden, beautiful thought to end on. thank you so much for being on hardtalk. hello there. the weather doesn't look like it's going to be settling down anytime soon,

u nfortu nately. we have more rainfall in the forecast, which could exacerbate already existing flooding problems. we still have several severe flood warnings in force. we saw record river levels monday and tuesday across southern and western areas, although those levels have subsided somewhat. however, with more rain in the forecast, piling in during wednesday and thursday, we're likely to see those river levels rising again, and we could be looking at more flooding issues. and the heavy rain over the next few days will be focused more across north—western parts of england and north wales, northern and western wales. now, today it starts off fine and dry, quite chilly, little bit of ice around, but some sunshine, before the cloud thickens up ahead of this weather system which will arrive, bringing outbreaks of fairly persistent rain for northern ireland, western scotland into north—west england, northern and western wales. further south and east, some dry interludes,

although it will be rather cloudy, and temperatures generally nine or 10 degrees in the south, cooler across the north. now, it continues to stay wet through wednesday night, and this weather front continues to bring rain particularly into northern and north—west england, northern and western wales. this is where we'll start to see problems arising again. it will be quite a mild night for england and wales. something colder, though, across certainly the northern half of scotland. so the weather fronts then still with us as we head on through thursday. the good news is, as it starts to move through fairly quickly, it will allow for a little bit of sunshine through the day on thursday. but quite a temperature contrast from thursday morning to what we will expect later on as the colder air moves through. now, the good news is this weather front will move through fairly quickly across the country through the day, eventually clearing the south—east, with some sunshine returning behind it. so a dry afternoon, with some sunshine. that should help issues there. but there will be lots of showers across the north. these will be wintry on the hills, as it will be chilly, but even a chillier day for the south as that front moves through. notice the isobars increase as we head on into friday. it's going to turn windy and there will be more weather

fronts piling in. we're thinking areas to the north of north wales seeing most of the rainfall. particularly northern ireland and western scotland could be very wet, but again, into north—west england and north wales. to the south, should see some sunny spells, but the wind gusts mean it's going to be a very blustery day, 40—50 mph winds. on the plus side, temperatures in double figures for most, 11 or 12 degrees in the south—east. so that's how it's looking up until friday, into the weekend. u nfortu nately it stays unsettled, more windy weather with showers, but also longer spells of rain for some.

a very warm welcome to bbc news. my name's mike embley. our top stories: after two weeks of quarantine over coronavirus, hundreds of passengers on the diamond princess cruise ship are leaving. new york's former mayor, michael bloomberg, surges in the polls qualifying for his first democratic presidential debate malaysia's battle against terrorism — tough police tactics and an emphasis on de—radicalisation programmes in prison. # black is a

beautiful, black is excellent, black is pain, black isjoy... #. music and politics at the brit awards — we'll have a full round—up of the winners and the reaction. hello. more than 2,000 people have now died in china from the coronavirus outbreak. authorities have confirmed a total of more than 711,000 cases, and announced new measures, including incentives for health care staff, and the building of another 10 temporary hospitals. injapan, around 500 cruise passengers from the diamond princess are finally free to leave the ship, but likely heading forfurther quarantine. they've been quarantined on board for more than two weeks as those on board grappled with the biggest outbreak of the virus outside mainland china. let's speak to our correspondent, nick beake,