sarah corker reports.to 30 venezuelan migrants heading for the dutch island of curacao. in rough seas and overloaded with people, the boat broke into pieces and sank. police say they found the bodies of two women and two men. the search for the missing continues. 0pposition leaders said people were leaving venezuelan as an act of desperation as the economic crisis there worsens. translation: it gives us deep sadness to see how our young people fleeing terror because it is no longer a migration, it is a flight, an escape, a state of total despair which reached this sad and tragic end. the boat left from north—western falcon state to make the 80—mile journey to curacao. venezuela has already closed air and sea traffic to the island, as well is to neighbouring aruba and bonaire, because of alleged smuggling. food and fuel in venezuela is heavily subsidised but in caracas, empty shelves in severe shortages are common. spiralling inflation and low prices have crippled this economy. translation: it is painful to

sarah corker, bbc news.n has made a defiant new year message saying he is always within reach of the nuclear button. it comes after months of escalating tensions over his country's weapons programme. in the televised message, its reported kim jong—un said: "the nuclear button is always on my table. this is not blackmail but reality." he went on to say he will use nuclear weapons only when north korea's security is threatened. china's leader, xijinping, has used his new year's message to suggest his country will play a greater role in international affairs in 2018. under previous presidents, china kept a lower international profile, but president xi set out his foreign affairs priorities in a number of areas. translation: as a responsible major country, china must speak out. china will staunchly safeguard the authority and status of the united nations and actively fulfill its due responsibility and duty in international affairs. china will honor its promises in countering global climate change and actively pu

sarah corker, bbc news.lazer for equal rights in the workdplace, now it is forcing companies to pay men and women the same. new legislation, which came into force on the first day of 2018, makes iceland the first country in the world to legalise equal pay between men and women. michaela bergman is principal social specialist at the asian infrastructure investment bank. good to see you. lovely to have you here. give us your take on this. i know you are well aware of this issue but also what is going on in iceland. we know there are huge gender gaps and governments are trying to address it as ever, iceland has ta ken trying to address it as ever, iceland has taken the lead bringing in legislation and trying to address the issue. now i think that the icelandic government is going to audit companies, to see whetherjobs are being paid equally because what has happened before, actually, the jobs are not equal, the men of doing differentjobs. jobs are not equal, the men of doing different jobs. essentially, they wi

sarah corker, bbc news.has made a defiant new year message, saying he is always within reach of the nuclear button. it comes after months of escalating tensions over his country's weapons programme. in the televised message, it's reported kim jong—un said "the nuclear button is always on my table. this is not blackmail but reality." he went on to say he will use nuclear weapons only when north korea's security is threatened. for more on this and what else was said in that televised message, i'm joined by our correspondent sophie long in seoul. this was a clear message from washington? —— for washington? this was a clear message from washington? -- for washington? this is his message that has become a tradition, broadcast early this morning on state television, and those certainly were the headlines. he said that the whole of the united states mainland is now within reach of his nuclear weapons and he said i have the nuclear button on my desk. he says it isn't a threat, it is simply reality. and because of su

sarah corker reports.iver seine. when his feet are under water, that means emergency flood measures in paris and after days of heavy rain, water levels are rising dramatically. we wanted to come and see what it looks like and it looks like it's up to his waist now, it is amazing to see the flooding. i think it is dangerous for the people who live on the boat. i think it is dangerous for them, not for us. some roads, metro lines and stations have been closed and cruises cancelled, there's no way boats can pass under these bridges. it's predicted the seine could reach 6.2 metres by saturday, that's five times the normal level. translation: we're almost at the point of a natural catastrophe, which reminds us of the flood in 1910. i hope that doesn't happen. they're not taking any chances, one of the wings has been shut to protect the artworks. with no power, some boats have been abandoned. those who have stayed check mooring ropes hourly so they don't break as the water rises. in fact, large swathes of the co

sarah corker, bbc news. the chinese government has set itself an extraordinary target.lion people out of extreme poverty injust 3 years. the country's president, xijinping, says he recognises the pressing political need to close the gap between china's urban rich and some of its desperately poor rural communities. but some of the obstacles facing remote communities will be challenging, as our beijing correspondent, john sudworth, reports. it's best not to look down. step—by—step, and heavily laden, this is the only way to the village at the top. but the two—hour, 800—metre climb is easier and safer than it used to be. the old, home—made wooden ladder, still visible here and there, has been replaced with a spectacular series of steel ladders. remote mountain communities like these, languishing so far behind china's big cities, now find themselves on the front line of a massive anti—poverty campaign. the improved access to this clifftop village has won praise from none other than china's president, xijinping. but life here remains tough. while president xi may be promisin

sarah corker, bbc news.rief you on some of the other stories making the news: president trump says washington could be persuaded to rejoin the paris climate accord, if a new agreement could be reached. but he said any new deal would need to be fairer to the united states. mr trump announced lastjune that he would pull out of the treaty to curb global emissions. two people have been killed in the eastern pakistani city of kasur, as police clashed with demonstrators incensed by the rape and murder of a six—year—old girl. zainab's body was discovered on a rubbish dump. authorities are accused of failing to stop a series of child murders and sexual assaults. the heads of the seven southern european countries on the frontline of the migration crisis have reiterated their commitment to finding a common european policy. they called upon other eu members to share the burden of border protection and migrant reception. last year, more than 170,000 migrants from war—torn and impoverished countries arrived at european c

sarah corker, bbc news.bay has declared a state of calamity as the mount mayon volcano spews lava. it's now reached the limits of a no—go zone and spread ash on nearby villages. the most active volcano in the philippines has been erupting since saturday. back in 1814 it buried a town and killed 1,200 people. thousands have been evacuated this time. but as people have been fleeing their homes, tourists have been descending on the area to watch this spectacular lava display. a reminder of our top story. a meeting of 20 foreign ministers look at ways to curb north korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes has agreed to ensure that un sanctions are strictly enforced. the canadian foreign minister, chrystia freeland, who hosted the meeting in vancouver, said they could not stand by as the nuclear threat on the korean peninsula intensified. much more on the website. and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter, i'm @bbcmikeembley. well, there's been some significant accumulations of snow

sarah corker, bbc news. stay with me on bbc news.e outlook for growth. i will see you soon. hi there. the weather looks set to cause a few problems for commuters first thing thursday morning, thanks to this rapidly deepening area of low pressure. now, the isobars really squeeze together across eastern counties of england. that's where the winds are going to be at their strongest, particular across parts of east anglia, maybe the south—east. now, coastal areas could get wind gusts potentially up to 75 mph. not far off that from inland areas, so we could well bring down one or two trees, with the winds that strong. power cuts a possibility, transport disruption a possibility, as well, due to that windy weather. whereas, across the far north of england, southern areas of scotland, it's snow that's going to be causing problems. with another 5—10 centimetres of fresh snow around, we could well have some disruption across some of those higher—level routes first thing in the morning, as well. so it's one of those days where you might want t

sarah corker, bbc news.least 85 people have been killed in the past ten days, in a besieged suburb of damascus under rebel control. united nations officials have called the recent upsurge in attacks on eastern ghouta, by government forces, a human catastrophe. the area has been under siege for more than four and a half years, as our chief international correspondent lyse doucet reports, from damascus. the bombs fall every day now in eastern ghouta. rescue teams rush in to bring survivors out. frightened children trapped inside, not knowing where to run or hide. this footage filmed by the western—backed white helmets, in the neighbourhood of hamoria. they are digging in the rubble with whatever tools they find. often it's just bare hands. the attacks by syrian and russian warplanes on this last rebel—held enclave of damascus intensified weeks ago, scarring entire streets. the attacks don't go only one way. rebel groups controlling this area, including hardline islamist groups linked to al-anda, fired more tha

sarah corker reports.s southern california, knocking entire homes from their foundations and trapping some people inside. in the thick brown sludge, waist—deep in parts, more than 50 people have been rescued so far. i looked over at the river and the trees were coming down. and we ran into the house and right then, the boulders busted through our house and we got upstairs and it got up to about eight feet, nine feet up the stairs. after devastating wildfires along this pacific coast, now, a powerful storm has triggered flash floods. one of the worst—hit areas is montecito, an exclusive neighbourhood north of la, home to stars like oprah winfrey. mansions now completely surrounded by mud. we had a very difficult time assessing the area and responding to many of those areas to assist those people. the only words i can really think of to describe what looked like was it looked like a world war i battlefield. wildfires in december have left this area vulnerable, burning the vegetation that helps prevent floodi

sarah corker, bbc news.en. while rafael nadal is currently on court and caroline wozniacki won her match, the star of the morning session was marta kostyuk of ukraine. the 15—year—old teenager became the youngest player since 1995 to reach the third round. she beat the australian 0livia rogowska in straight sets. now it‘s time to get all the latest from the bbc sports centre. hello, i‘m sarah mulkerrins and welcome to your sport briefing for wednesday. chelsea are hoping the fa cup can bring them some silverware this season, leicester book their place in the fourth round of it, with the first goal to be decided by var in english football, and antonyjoshua says it‘s an honour to face his next opponent joseph parker. defending champions chelsea have a lot of ground to catch up on in the premier league, so could the fa cup be the next best thing for antonio conte‘s side? they‘re at home to norwich on wednesday in their third round replay. last time out, the second tier side managed to hold on for a 0—0 draw at

sarah corker, bbc news. york, cities across the world have been ringing in 2018 with spectacular firework displays. one of the biggest new year's parties was on the banks of the river thames, where caroline davies' report begins. bell chimes. even big ben couldn't miss this party. despite being under repair, it rang, marking the start of 2018 in london along with 12,000 fireworks. this year's soundtrack was dominated by female artists. 2018 is 100 years since women first got the vote. celebrations are planned. just one thing the year has in store. the best year ever. we're going to get our careers. we're going to get into university. get into university! it's going to be good. in scotland, storm dylan had brought winds of up to 70 mph but it wasn't enough to dampen spirits for hogmanay in edinburgh. in sydney, the harbour bridge lit up in rainbow colours, a tribute to the year australia voted to legalise same—sex marriage. around the world, cities celebrated the start of 2018. hong kong erupted. athens glowe

sarah corker reports. new year was ushered in, by the arrival of wild weather. strong winds and rough seas meant seaside cities cancelled traditional new year swimming events. winds exceeding 140km/h knocked out power to thousands of homes across brittany. this man says the storm was stronger than expected, and had already done some damage to the roof. police say one man in his 60s was killed when a tree fell on his car near the french—spanish border. elsewhere, and across the atlantic, the united states is experiencing a record—breaking arctic cold. from texas to maine, the sub—zero temperatures and snow were unrelenting. at the chicago airport, there were long delays. it is brutally cold — i mean, five degrees and below, the single digits. it was something else. and, for almost a week now, parts of canada have been colder than the north pole. niagara falls had become an icy spectacle. with temperatures falling below —30 celsius, even the penguins at calgary zoo have been moved inside. there is widespread

sarah corker reports.d to measure the height of the river seine. when his feet are under water, that means emergency flood measures in paris and after days of heavy rain, water levels are rising dramatically. we wanted to come and see what it looks like and it looks like it's up to his waist now, so it's amazing to see the flooding. i think it's dangerous for the people who live on the boat. i think it is dangerous for them, not for us. some roads, metro lines and stations have been closed and cruises cancelled, there's no way boats can pass under these bridges. it's predicted the seine could reach 6.2 metres by saturday, that's five times the normal level. translation: we're almost at the point of a natural catastrophe, which reminds us of the flood in 1910. i hope that doesn't happen. at the famous louvre museum, home of the mona lisa, they're not taking any chances, one of the wings has been shut to protect the artworks. with no power, some boats have been abandoned. those who have stayed check mooring

sarah corker, bbc news.s it is hearing reports that north korea might be preparing for another missile test. it is warning that would mean tougher measures against pyongyang. earlier, south korea proposed high—level talks with north korea next week. it comes a day after the north korean leader said he was open to dialogue, and was considering sending a team to next month's winter olympics in south korea. this was the reaction of south korea's president. translation: we welcome that the north korean leader, kim jong—un, expressed a willingness to send athletes to the pyeongchang 0lympics, and to hold inter—korea government talks, during his new year address. i believe this is in response to our proposal to make the olympics an opportunity to improve inter—korean relations and peace. the chinese government has set itself an extraordinary target. it says it will lift 43 million people out of extreme poverty injust three years. president xi jinping says he recognises the pressing political need to close the gap

sarah corker, bbc news.ed in the falklands, northern ireland, both gulf wars and afghanistan. but the lynx helicopter made its final flight before bowing out of service. duncan kennedy was on board. the last flight from the last of britain's lynx. ref odium in hampshire the starting point for today's fairwelled for. that's us departing raf 0dium for the final flight of the lynx. this was a 500—mile goodbye circuit of all the bases connected to this iconic aircraft. a thankyou to those who've flown it, fixed it orjust fascinated by it. i love the old girl. she's very... we'll say quirky. she's very manoeuvrable and she's done us proud i think. the airborne lap of honour took the four lynx helicopters first to yeovilton in somerset, the place where it was built. a last wave from the crew and from the people who made her. it was then on to bristol, lemster and shorebury near wolverhampton, where lynx crews did their basic training. some people even put out banners to say there farewell. we're saying goodbye to

sarah corker, bbc news.ined now by professor sir mallory factor, an academic and commentator. good to have you with us again. let me ask you first, it's not the happiest first anniversary for president trump. no, it isn't, a government shutdown is never a happy thing to have happened, but it may injure him to the dis— benefit of the democrats. in what way? a major democrat up for re—election characterised the shutdown as people running for president all trying to find their bases. she went on to say that if they believe that they sell out the dreamers, hispanic voters might be less energised to turn out to bars and 18. this is all about 2018. the mid-term elections. the third of the senators up and all of the house seats up. 34 senate seats will be up, and eight of them that are up will be up, and eight of them that are up our will be up, and eight of them that are up our republican seats, 26 are independent democrats. in a sense it isa independent democrats. in a sense it is a tougher election for the democ

sarah corker reports.ival of was ushered in. 513" the, g’rr‘ieat’fif = mgfifig seaside .. .. 7... w..%tfiilfjfifi meant seaside " "7 cancelled '73'5j—?7i seas meant seaside cities cancelled éeag'effifieé seas meant seaside cities cancelled l

sarah corker, bbc news.ople lined rio de janeiro's copacabana beach for the 17 minute firework display — one of the first major south american cities to see in the new year as 2018 sweeps across the globe. big ben bongs. the iconic sound of big ben strikes in london. the party began with 10,000 fireworks along the river thames. the skies above berlin's brandenburg gate were lit up in every colour. the countdown in paris was watched by thousands at the arc de triomphe, as fireworks dazzled in the darkness. perhaps one of the most spectacular displays didn't involve fireworks at all. in dubai, they lit up the world's tallest building with lasers. the burj khalifa becoming a shimmering canvas, visible almost 100 kilometres away. hong kong ushered in 2018 with style. victoria harbour was transformed into sparkling splendour. auckland was the first major city to see in the new year with its sky tower lit up... five, four, three, two, one! ..followed by sydney, where1.5 million people lined the harbour front to se

sarah corker reports. anger over rising prices in tunisia has turned into one rest.s west of the capital, tunis. young people took to the streets for a third successive night. 0ne young people took to the streets for a third successive night. one man died in clashes here on monday. police and troops have been deployed in several cities. they have been clashes in tunis, as well. demonstrators threw stones and burnt tyres. riot police responded with tear gas. translation: it is not the people's fault. young people studied and studied, and then a left unemployed or in a difficult situation. as far as we're concerned, we had to endure clashes. protesters have been accused of using children to loot shops. so far, more than 200 people have been arrested after what the prime minister described as unacceptable violence. translation: everytime there is societal friction violence. translation: everytime there is societalfriction in tunisia, the vandals come out. they start destroying things and recruiting small kids. these people don't serve the interests of tunisia. these pro

sarah corker reports. donald trump! shame on you! house, salvadorians staged a noisy protest. they are angry because the trump administration has given them 18 months to leave or face deportation, unless they find a legal way to stay. it is a move affecting 200,000 salvadorians living in large numbers in california, texas, and washington, dc. these people have been living by the rules, getting background checks every 18 months, getting theirfingerprints for more than 20 years. time to give salvadorians and all tps holders of citizenship. since 2001 they have had temporarily protective status, or tps, after two major earthquakes in el salvador killed more than 1000 people. but the us department of homeland security says the disruption caused at that time no longer exist. however, there is concern about what impact cancelling the permits will have on families. it is devastating. we kind of were expecting this news, because of the administration, and the work that they have been doing the kind of separate families. so every day we have

sarah corker reports. cape town's water supply rely on six dams.reality of three years of very little rain. water levels are dangerously low, less than 30%. for months, the city's for many people have been urged to ration water orface 30 many people have been urged to ration water or face 30 — that is the moment the reservoirs run dry and the taps are turned off. now the city's mayor has accused residents of not caring and of being dangerously selfish. at this point we must assume that they will not change their behaviour and that the chances of reaching addae zero on the 21st of april is now very likely. we can no longer ask people to stop wasting water. we now have to stop wasting water. we now have to force them. from lexmark their water allowa nce to force them. from lexmark their water allowance is being slashed. it is currently 87 metres per day, per person —— from next month. that is about the same as an average bar. there will be a new 50 litre limit, backed up by heavy fines. dam levels are currently at 28%. date zero ta kes are currently

sarah corker reports. cape town's water supply relies on six dams.n. water levels are dangerously low — less than 30%. for months, the city's four million people have been urged to ration water or face day zero — that is the moment the reservoirs run dry and the taps are turned off. now, the city's mayor has accused residents of not caring and of being dangerously selfish. at this point, we must assume that they will not change their behaviour, and that the chances of reaching day zero on the 21st of april is now very likely. we can no longer ask people to stop wasting water. we now have to force them. and so from next month, their water allowance is being slashed. it's currently 87 litres per day, per person. that's about the same amount used in an average bath. from february, there will be a new 50—litre limit, backed up by heavy fines. dam levels are currently at 28%. day zero takes effect when levels fall to 13.5%. and, if cape town does become the first major city in the world to run out of water, residents will have to queue at designated water

sarah corker reports. it is going down to the wire.as government stance on the brink ofa was government stance on the brink of a shutdown for the first time since 2013. with democrats and republicans fighting bitterly over a funding dealforfederal institutions. the senate is due to vote on it in the next hour. at the centre of all of this, a row of immigration, the so—called dreamers. democrats have demanded the bill include protection from deportation to 700,000 young undocumented immigrants that came to the us as children. and the blame game is in full swing, both parties blaming each other for the impasse, full swing, both parties blaming each otherfor the impasse, the president's budget director took aim at the democrats. the president is actively working right now to try to prevent a shutdown. i will content to you that is dramatically different than what resident 0bama was doing in 2013 is there is no way you could lay this at the feet of the president of the united states, he is actively working to entities. but the democrats bl

sarah corker reports. 0n france's atlantic coast, the new year was ushered in by the arrival of wildnd rough seas meant seaside cities cancelled traditional new year swimming events. winds exceeding 140km/h knocked out power to thousands of homes across brittany. this man said the storm was stronger than expected, and had already done some damage to the roof. police say one man in his 60s was killed when a tree fell on his car near the french—spanish border. elsewhere, and across the atlantic, the united states is experiencing a record—breaking arctic cold. from texas to maine, the sub—zero temperatures and snow were unrelenting. at chicago airport, there were long delays. it is brutally cold — i mean, five degrees and below, in the single digits. it was something else. and for almost a week now, parts of canada have been colder than the north pole. niagara falls have become an icy spectacle. with temperatures falling below —30 celsius, even the penguins at calgary zoo have been moved inside. there's widespread disruption on the roads, railways, and in the air. but for these brave so

sarah corker reports. selmer saxophones are so famous they have been spent into space.is a brand steeped in history. founded by the henri selmer backin history. founded by the henri selmer back in 1885, in le parisien suburb. still to this day, the instrument are made up of 700 pieces and are finished and tested by hand. but, with growing competition from chinese manufacturers, they need to modernise. and the decision to sell a majority stake of the family firm is designed to do just that. translation: this change will bring a new momentum, a new dynamic for the company. we will have a shareholder who is strong financially, and who will be able to guarantee our investments. so, thanks to that, we will be able to calmly carry on with developing our company. on the music scene, the selmer sound has shaped several generations of world—renowned musicians, and standing the test of time, is still played by the most famous jazz stars. today, top of the range selmer saxes can set you back as much as 20,000 euros. the firm's new investor says more than a century of know—how won'

sarah corker reports. donald trump! crowd: shame on you!ians staged a noisy protest. they are angry because the trump administration has given them 18 months to leave, or face deportation, unless they find a legal way to stay. it is a move affecting 200,000 salvadorians, living in large numbers in california, texas, and washington, dc. these people have been living by the rules, getting background checks every 18 months, getting theirfingerprints for more than 20 years. time to give salvadorians, and all tps holders, citizenship. since 2001 they have had temporarily protective status, or tps, after two major earthquakes in el salvador killed more than 1,000 people. but the us department of homeland security says the disruption caused at that time no longer exists. however, there is concern about what impact cancelling the permits will have on families. it is devastating. we kind of were expecting this news, because of the administration, and the work that they've been doing to kind of separate families. so every day we've been living in fea

sarah corker reports. the storm swept into france with brute force. kilometres an hour battered the northern coast. the atlantic ocean crashed over and through cedar fences. —— sea defences. high tide in brittany saw waves flooding into the streets. in paris there was heavy driving rain. this is what the strongest winds in years can do to the capital. crushed cars, collapsed scaffolding and downed power lines. dangerous conditions closed ski resorts in the alps. one skier died after being hit by a falling tree. translation: i am devastated. we can predict avalanches or torrential rain but trees falling on the ski piste, we're not used to that. it is tragic. destruction has been widespread across northern europe. tens of thousands of homes are without power. in switzerland, 25 people were stuck inside a cable car due to strong winds. later they were rescued by helicopter. this train was blown off the track near lucerne injuring eight people. hours earlier, ireland was the first to feel the power of the storm. high spring tides in galway and gale force

sarah corker reports. it's a government shutdown nobody wanted.t went to the wire but there was no last—minute deal. as democrats rallied on capitol hill, inside the senate, republican leaders couldn't secure enough votes to pass a spending bill to extend the funding of federal agencies. on this vote, the ayes are 50, nays are 49. the motion is not agreed. three fifths of the senators duly chosen and sworn not having voted in the affirmative, the motion is not agreed to. now the trump administration faces an embarrassing shutdown. what we have just witnessed on the floor was a cynical decision by senate democrats to shove aside millions of americans for the sake of irresponsible political games. the government shutdown was 100% avoidable. president trump, if you are listening, i am urging you, please take yes for an answer. the way things went today, the way you turned from a bipartisan deal, it's almost as if you were rooting for a shutdown. at the centre of all of this, a row over immigration and the so—called dreamers. democrats had demanded th

sarah corker, bbc news.ar—old kasim lewis will appear before magistrates in wimbledon later. protests against increases to rail fares are being held at a number of stations in scotland today. it comes as scotrail fares increase by an average of 3.2% this year. train operators across the uk say the biggest rise in railfares for five years is necessary to address "decades of under investment". an irish footballer has scored his first big victory of the year by winning the lottery. preston north end's kevin 0'connor was visiting family in ireland when he found out he had won a million euros. his uncle had bought him the ticket earlier in the month. kevin says he has no immediate plans for the money and his main focus was helping his team climp up the league. it is seven o'clock in the morning. the us says it plans to call an emergency meeting of the un security council to discuss ongoing unrest in iran. at least 22 people have been killed in anti—government demonstrations, which have been taking place since thu

sarah corker reports. the blue bus landed upside down on a rocky beach next to the pacific ocean.st of the pictures of the wreckage are too disturbing to show. witnesses say the coach collided with another vehicle and then went over the edge of this cliff, plummeting more than 100 metres. it happened on the notorious devil's turn of the pasamayo road, 50 kilometres from the coach's final destination, lima. the rocky site is difficult for rescuers to reach. survivors were winched up by rope and some airlifted to local hospitals. translation: they told us the bus had fallen off the cliff here in pasamayo. it was an accident. we thought that my niece had left around that time in the bus. she went with her boyfriend. the two of them were in the same seat. the pacific ocean road is often listed among the world's most dangerous roads and, despite the sheer drops, it's largely unprotected by safety fences. police say the death toll is likely to rise. the uk's first dedicated treatment centre for people with rare genetic diseases and skin conditions has opened in london. the centre at st

sarah corker reports. it's a government shutdown nobody wanted. to the wire but there was no last—minute deal. as democrats rallied on capitol hill, inside the senate republican leaders couldn't secure enough votes to pass a spending bill to extend the funding of federal agencies. on this vote, the ayes of 50, nays are 49. the motion is not agreed. the motion is not agreed to. now the trump administration faces an embarrassing shutdown. what we have just witnessed on the floor was a cynical decision by senate democrats to shove aside millions of americans for the sake of irresponsible political gains. the government shutdown was 100% avoidable. president trump if you are president trump, if you are listening, please ta ke yes trump, if you are listening, please take yes for an answer. the way things went today, the way you turn from a bipartisan deal, it's almost as if you were rooting for a shutdown. at the centre of all of this, a row of immigration and the so—called dreamers. democrat said the deal would include protection from deportation for