hours landed in anguilla i understand today. the french announced today, macron announced yesterday from a crisis emergency centre, number one there was an emergency hotline, number two, they would do immediate relief and there was a relief fund, and number three there would be a reconstruction fund. we are a day on and finally there was a cobra meeting when you would have thought there would be won at the weekend when it was announced as an unprecedented storm and there's been no announcement about reconstruction. this isn't just anguilla, the british virgin islands as well, we can assume they will be of concern because there are a lot of british expats living there? the thing everyone keeps forgetting is every person on anguilla, montserrat, british virgin islands, they are british nationals, weather they are expats all residents, they are all british nationals, all british citizens that hold eu uk passports. like the falkland islands? yes, or gibraltar. we would have expected an equivalent response if this happened in gibralt

just tell us your family in anguilla. just tell us please what happened — your house was destroyed in radu? yes. my house, many houses here. i lost my roof completely. the garden is now in the house. a lot of people are in a very similar situation. there is no power on the island. the communications are doing their best to have basic communication. people are trying to clear the roads here so that we can get access to basic provisions. the navy did arrive today and there have been helicopters in the air dropping supplies to the hospital. helicopters in the air dropping supplies to the hospitallj helicopters in the air dropping supplies to the hospital. i know that you have had to live through this. you are still probably living through this. could you take us three. you are hunkered down in your house. presumably you are not seeing much because of the shutters boarded up. what are you hearing, what are you feeling, as the storm hits? yes, at 2am the eye of the storm hit us. we thought that was quite a powerful force. it

. 0n the line is the chief minister of anguilla, victor banks. victor, thanks for joining victor, thanks forjoining us. bring us victor, thanks forjoining us. bring us up to date with the situation now. thanks very much for having me. the situation now we are in recovery mode but at the same time we are in preparatory mode because as you know harry kane jose preparatory mode because as you know harry kanejose has taken the same path towards anguilla. —— hurricane jose. irma caused vast destruction to our territory including the private and public sector. the hospital was severely damaged to the extent of the daugherty of the rooms have there ruse lifted off —— the majority —— roofs. the government buildings, the house of the assembly, the offices of schools and another number of government buildings were severely damaged and that means we will be taking time to recover and restore those buildings. in addition to that, private homes and buildings have been damaged. few houses haven't had damage of one sort or another. the majority of t

that £30 million is not coming to anguilla. that £30 million is coming to three of the islands, but at this point we need manpower. we need to see the military, we need to see the hum of chainsaws trying to clear the debris, we need to make sure that our hospital and these facilities that are under challenge and... obviously we recognise that this is disastrous proportions. president trump has been talking about hurricane irma, warning about its destructive potential, as it heads towards florida. we've seen many, heads towards florida. we've seen any heads towards florida. we've seen many, many residents trying to get out of its path already, clogging up the highways as they drive away from hurricane irma. president trump has said "this is a storm of absolutely historic destructive potential. i ask everyone in the storm's path to be vigilant and heed all recommendations from government officials and law enforcement". that was donald trump calling hurricane irma a storm of absolutely historic destructive potential. a stark warn

it is very bad here in anguilla. nisha dupuis joins us now from anguilla. us watching that here in the safety of britain, where we do not encounter hurricanes like this, it is difficult for us to understand what you have gone through. can you describe the sheer force of the storm? i am going to try my best to describe it to you. initially, i started picking it up at iam and even then you could tell that it was about to be a very powerful storm. the shutters started rattling. at the station you could feel the impactand the station you could feel the impact and that around liam, it really began picking up. leaves were coming in through the shutters and shaking until eventually they couldn't hold up. what had to happen was we had to remove the board, to protect us, the wind speeds were extremely strong. up to 185 mph is. the concrete structure of the walls we re the concrete structure of the walls were being basically lifted up here. it has very strong and powerful. a very strong hurricane. and terrifying but he kept broadcasting somehow. how did you manage an

him out of anguilla prior to the next impending storm. there is no hotline, there is no mechanism in place to be able to evacuate foreign nationals should they wish to leave, there is no systematic sense of organisation. so when i levelled the criticism, it is not out of the blue, it is in the current circumstances which we see. right 110w circumstances which we see. right now in anguilla, people are waking up, they have no ability, there is no electrical service. they have no information as to where they can go to charge their bones and make contact. —— phones. there is no vehicle wearing out any messages throughout the villagers telling people what they can do. we are getting ready for hurricane jose people what they can do. we are getting ready for hurricanejose and half of anguilla who have sustained damages have no way even at this point to help to shore up ourselves for what might be a category three hurricane reaching us tomorrow. for what might be a category three hurricane reaching us tomorrowlj for what might be a category t

so we want to send in military operation to anguilla as soon as we possibly can, weather permitting. the foreign secretary, boris johnson. on the line is captain stephen norris. he is the commanding officer of royal fleet auxiliary mounts bay, and he is overseeing the military teams carrying out relief work in the caribbean. captain norris, thank you for joining us. tell us how many people you have working with you and what your priorities are? on-board mounts bay we have 170 people. i am embarking more people this evening as we speak, another 100 combat engineers. we'll probably end up with about 300 people. and what are your priorities first of all? my priorities, as always, our humanitarian aid and disaster relief, saving lives. we spent the day in anguilla shortly after the storm passed, we did lots of good workfare, and storm passed, we did lots of good workfa re, and we storm passed, we did lots of good workfare, and we spent two days providing water, food and assistance to the outlying islands of the british virgin islands. we have pictures of some of the work that you've been

that was the chief minister of anguilla speaking to me earlier. we will get more on hurricane irma later. also making news today: paolo duterte, the son of the philippine president rodrigo duterte, has denied involvement in a multi—million—dollar drug smuggling operation. it comes after president duterte launched a violent campaign against drug crime last year and has promised to resign if any family members are involved in the trade. paolo duterte refused to answer the questions that were put to him by a senate hearing, but did read a prepared statement. iam i am formally appealing today's receding. 0nce i am formally appealing today's receding. once and for all, i now have the time to deny any and all res plus allegations towards me. every dog has his day. the law of karma will operate especially to those with evil intent. the american credit ratings agency equus fax says its computer systems have been hacked, potentially affecting 140 million people across the us —— equifax. they say it took place between may and july this year, as stea

that was not the case for anguilla. boris johnson said earlier the uk is acting swiftly in response to the devastation caused by hurricane irma. how do you react to that? do you think the uk could and should have done more in advance?” you think the uk could and should have done more in advance? i think it's always important to learn from these situations. saint martin had trips on the ground, because saint martin is france. is the collectivity of france. and of course, they look after themselves more readily than perhaps the united kingdom does for an overseas territory, which is not deemed to be a constituent part of the united kingdom. that's a very diplomatic answer, but if france can do it for its overseas territory, shouldn't the uk be acting in a similar fashion? continuing in a diplomatic thing, i think that if france can do it, perhaps the uk could learn from that. given that neighbouring saint martin has suffered terribly as a result of irma as well, and you've explained that anguilla is very dependent on it

alison strand is on the island of anguilla any hue are ina is on the island of anguilla any hue are in a pretty precarious spot. we are in a pretty precarious spot. we are on the east side of the island. we are probably the first house to be hit by the hurricane irma in anguilla. it is located about five metres from the shoreline search even though hurricane irma is predicted to hit at around three atm, it is midnight and predicted to hit at around three atm, it is midnightand it predicted to hit at around three atm, it is midnight and it is ready battering. how confident that you will be ok and your property will be 0k? will be ok and your property will be ok? we are fairly confident. we followed all the advice given by authorities and locals who have experienced hurricane. we may lose some things but everything else should be ok. it is notjust the winds, the major concern is the flooding and access to the rest of the island, we will probably lose oui’ the island, we will probably lose our roads here. you are very calm about this, sang when, you may lose your roof, that is the worst

what are the needs in anguilla and elsewhere? what sort of things to people need right now? we have seen people who have lost everything almost. absolutely. that sums it up, however, you have to prioritise needs and the essential first need would be temporary shelter. roof cover, tempi shelter facilities. water. food. and we get into psychosocial support because a lot of persons would have been traumatised by having to face such an extensive pounding over a matter of hours. so you have to look at that as an immediate priority. then we move from there into looking at some of the early recovery requirements. but first, addressing the water supply needs, temporary roof cover, temporary shelter, and counselling. thank you very much for being with us, you are really busy soi being with us, you are really busy so i will let you go. whenjackson, from the caribbean disaster emergency management agency, in charge of coordinating the aid effort for those islands hit by hurricane irma. thank you very much for your time. you are welcome. as we were saying, the foreign and commonwealth o

deaths are reported in the us and british virgin islands, and anguilla. haiti and the turks and caicos islands are now making frantic preparations. the islands of barbuda and st martin were the first to feel the full force of the winds and storm surge. then puerto rico, cuba and florida still lie ahead. with phone lines down, roads destroyed by flooding, airports damaged, it's difficult to communicate and to get aid in. our correspondent laura bicker sent this report from puerto rico. hurricane irma, a storm the size of france, has carved a destructive path through the caribbean. in puerto rico, three people were killed as winds battered the island. as daylight came and the clear—out began, most felt lucky to have survived such a terrifying storm. i pray god don't come here no more! this family told me they felt blessed to be alive and that the only damage was a downed power line and fallen trees in their street. they've kept eight—month—old aaron safe. there is a collective sigh of relief in puerto rico. there is work to be done. up to 30ft waves t

one of the hardest hit is the british island of anguilla. that's where alex thomson of independent television news is. >> reporter: with the plane loaded with as much aid as she carried, we approached anguilla. irma's passing, starkly obviously from the moment you hit the tarmac in anguilla. douglas biggs somehow survived irma inside this, it was once a house, his house. you keep smiling, you look happy. why, after this has happened, why are you happy man? >> because i am alive. that's why i'm happy. >> reporter: because you're alive. >> yeah, >> reporter: suddenly at the air strip an r.a.f. transporter arrives out of the blue raising hope that a serious aid delivery at last is coming to anguilla. what you're seeing behind me in this r.a.f. transport plane is essentially the first major delivery of aid from britain to anguilla. and people on this island are asking why it has taken six days to achieve that. >> we are not here to spend time talking about responses and times. we are here to start talking about the recovery, making people, makin

it is quite u nfortu nate well. —— anguilla. it is quite unfortunate that we have had some loss of life but i'm far more happy that the toll was not an greater. how can you foresee how the islands are going to cope with rebuilding, firstly by recovering and then rebuilding? you have to recognise that there is an incredible amount of resilience in the islands. you have people who have dealt with these kind of storms. they dealt with the effects of climate change for some time and we know that they are already starting to rebuild, already starting to clean the roads in places where normal life can be restored. that is what is happening. people are quite resilient and they wa nt to people are quite resilient and they want to get back on their feet and back to normal life as quickly as possible. there will need help, they will need international assistance. we in the united nations are trying to do that as well. the government have been proactive. yesterday the government of antigua successfully evacuated the entire island of barbud

you can't but be affected by the scale of devastation that the people of anguilla have endured. a bbc survey of half the council blocks in the uk finds that almost every one does not have a full sprinkler system to deal with fires. where you can save one life, then it's worth doing. this can't be optional, can't be a nice to have, it must happen and must be in place for the future to protect people. the prime minister says there needs to be greater flexibility on public sector pay amid union criticism that the pay awards announced yesterday for police and prison officers were still below inflation. also in the next hour, warning from the president of the european commission that the uk will soon regret leaving the eu. in his annual address to the european parliament, jean—claude juncker says there is a window of opportunity to build a stronger, more united union. and the robot making its debut as the conductor of an orchestra in italy. good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. private healthcare firm spire has agreed to pay over £27 million to help victims of a rogue breast sur

, helping to restore power and get of anguilla, helping to restore powerand get an of anguilla, helping to restore power and get an accurate picture for that governor of exactly what is happening. so we are helping but obviously this is a huge challenge and more help is needed and that's what we've authorised today. the government has announced that a military task group is to be sent to the area comprising army engineers and royal marines and two puma helicopters we expect will be boarding the ships within the next 2a hours. they will be joined by a helicopter carrier which is being diverted from the mediterranean and we do not expect it to be on—site for another two weeks or so. they will bejoining the for another two weeks or so. they will be joining the supply ship which has been in the vicinity for quite some time now, which has on board a0 royal marines and engineers and a variety of humanitarian front so, a lot being done by the uk government to help what sir michael fallon describes as our people. while matthew was speaking, i‘ve just been told that the government has increa

unfortunately that has not happened in anguilla. agencies are playing catch-up to a catastrophic situation. and i hope this is a testing period for what happens in the future. but there's an uneasiness, don, because as you know we are bracing ourselves for what might be a category 3 hurricane in the form of hurricane jose. you look at anguilla and you see the vast amount of debris, we're looking at projectiles in what will be the next storm. that is the frightening aspect. even if you have prepared yourself -- how does your property respond the, you know, flaying galvanized -- and everything is loose. everything is loose. >> and everything is a weapon. an it can be dabngerous, especially with those winds. we hope they hear you and you get help, as well. we appreciate you joining us. please, stay safe. >> thank you for raising the profile on us. >> for ways you can help those affected by hurricane irma, go to cnn.com/impact. >>> when we come back, more on our breaking news. new hurricane warnings issued for south florida. miami braci

deaths are reported in the us and british virgin islands, and anguilla. haiti and the turks and caicos islands are the latest places to be hit by the storm. cuba and florida still lie ahead. the red cross estimates that up to 26 million people in total could be exposed to the destructive winds and torrential rains brought by irma. more than 160,000 rohingya muslims have now fled violence in myanmar. the exodus across the border into bangladesh was sparked by a crackdown by burmese security forces. pope francis has urged colombians to set

martin and anguilla. we get more, from alex thomson of independent television news. >> reporter: the jetty's broken on this anguilla beach. most pumps are wrecked. so you fill up by hand. but as we do, people arrive desperate to help their families over in st martin. >> it's not good news, what we're hearing about st. martin, so it's about getting my family over here right now. >> reporter: british anguillans keep saying that french st martin, up ahead, was far worse hit, but the french government responded quicker. we wanted to find out. waterside concrete buildings gutted, as if some passing army has done its worst and moved on. the entire green forest slopes burned brown by blown seawater, every leaf stripped by irma's passing. as ever, the poorest get hit hardest. >> i live in there. i was. >> reporter: what are you going to do? >> what can i do? nothing. >> reporter: are you getting help? >> how? >> reporter: government? >> i don't know. we cannot tell you nothing. >> reporter: for now, francisco's s

earlier my colleague spoke with blondel cluff, representative of the government of anguilla to the uk and eu. she said communications with the island have been lost. no contact through telephones or the internet. the radio station is still producing some sort of output but very limited. tell us how prepared the island is for hurricaine irma and the eye of the storm is over anguilla right now. right at this moment. we have got gusts of 200mph at the present. there are four shelters on the island but they are in school halls and church halls. the locals are relying on their own resources to get through this one. presumably, there is a considerable amount of experience but as we have heard, this is a storm, a hurricane that is breaking records. there is no experience of anything like this. this will devastate the island. an island which is, whose economy is dependent on tourism, farming and fishing. this is something that will affect it for months, if not years to come. the geography of the island, i understand, means it really is bearing the brunt of this. describe that for our viewers.

tell us what is happening at home in anguilla. so it is iam here in anguilla, a beautiful, brilliant, moonlit nights, which i think kind of belies the sense of foreboding to come. there is a certain uneasiness this evening and i am sure that no one is sleeping comfortably ride at this time. essentially, we are, ithink, thatis time. essentially, we are, ithink, that is say, feeling like we are getting ready to go into an exam, and we are very ill prepared. anguilla, as you know, is an overseas territory. we are 36 square miles, literally i6 overseas territory. we are 36 square miles, literally 16 miles x three miles, literally 16 miles x three miles, and roughly about 13,000 residents. we are very familiar with hurricanes, so we obviously always prepare and the nature of our construction is such that we generally feel comfortable when storms are approaching. but as we know, irma was like no other, and the morning after, when anguillans raise their heads, it was a sense of horror, looking at an island that looked like a nuclear bomb

the french have put a lot more in than we have, into anguilla. will the minister layout what resources we can provide from a military point of view to deal with the immediate humanitarian catastrophe and support anguilla's government would support for hospitals, schools, airports, prisons, and all the devastated infrastructure they will need to get on their feet. helping those in danger has to be the immediate priority that i do ask the minister to engage in the wider issue of what the government is doing to get global climate change action on track. this is vital, urgent, and we are currently failing. there is preparing us for severe weather instance to ensure that flooding can be reduced, buildings are solid, and infrastructure can hold up. i know the kind of advanced work to which the honourable lady implicitly refers is deeply entrenched in many of the programmes across the world on which they spend their money. sir alan duncan. you are watching thursday in parliament with me, alicia mccarthy. the commerce committees may not attract as much a

we can speak to someone from anguilla. it looks very calm behind you but i suspect there is a huge effort underway to get things back to normal? absolutely. it is a sunny day today. nature rebound is a lot quicker than i think the humankind does. but this sunshine really opens up the full reality which is pretty stark and makes people here think about what their future will be. just describe how stark it is. for people who do not know the island, what is left?|j stark it is. for people who do not know the island, what is left? i am going to move around and try and get some more pictures for you, but the reality is really showing itself. sony people have lost their roof. many people currently have no electricity. there is no power to the island. there is difficulty in getting gas. there is difficulty in getting gas. there is difficulty in getting diesel for those who have generators. there are some human casualties happening is far as literally people are trying to get food and water. that is unusual for us in anguilla beca

british naval helicopters have been in anguilla working off a naval fleet auxiliary vessel, but it's the speed and scale of britain's input that's been criticised today. what we definitely need to see is a sustainable, if not continued and permanent commitment to support the development of anguilla. at present we have had precious little support of significant quantities and we need that now. but britain says it has responded as rapidly as possible and is now offering more than £30 million of help. the fact is we had a royal naval vessel mounts bay in the region because we knew the hurricane was coming. this is hurricane season and we are always prepared. this is one of a number of rafjets heading to the region. in all there will be something like 300 royal marines on the ground over the space of the next two or three days. but even when they arrive there, no one is fully clear yet what their operational role is going to be and where they can get to. the race to get help to the people of the caribbean now involves operations from more than a dozen countries. a review of the criminal

the raf mounts bay has issued aid to anguilla. 50 royal marines and army engineers have shored up key infrastructure, including the airport which is now able to service emergency flights. the mounts bay is carrying equipment including helicopters, as we see here. britain has been accused of an overall slow response to the disaster. the international development secretary, priti patel, has been setting out what aid the uk government is sending. we are sending out buckets, solar equipment, practical equipment that people need straight after a terrible hurricane, the type of disaster that we have seen. so there isa disaster that we have seen. so there is a range of equipment that is going out, it's being deployed. we have seen a c—17 fly from brize norton carrying a range of equipment. it's very much the type of kit, shelter kit, power kits, also buckets that will help provide water, water purification that people need after such a disaster like a hurricane. and this is actually being driven to gibraltar? what we are doing today is, we are going to send out this equipment, we are looki

that is anguilla and barbuda, and as faras hit. that is anguilla and barbuda, and as far as we know, the british virgin islands have also been really badly hit. there has been to indicate and is issues with those places, and we are hoping to get in on to the ground tomorrow to the british virgin islands. the ship, the mounts bay, was in anguilla today and delivered the first assistance. they are also moving to the research virgin islands to get a better picture of the need to there. an earthquake with a magnitude of eight has hit southern mexico. the quake struck 75 miles off the pacific coast, southwest of the town of tres picos. but buildings shook in mexico city hundreds of miles away. there are no reports so far of any major damage or casualties. —— reuters news is reporting that at least two people are dead. as an army warning centre said hazardous waves could be possible within the next three hours. —— the tsunami warning centre. young offenders from ethnic minority backgrounds will become "the next generation" of adu

deaths are reported in the us and british virgin islands, and anguilla. haiti and the turks and caicos islands are the latest places to be hit by the storm. cuba and florida still lie ahead. the red cross estimates that up to 26 million people in total could be exposed to the destructive winds and torrential rains brought by irma. more than 160,000 rohingya muslims have now fled violence in myanmar. the exodus across the border into bangladesh was sparked by a crackdown by burmese security forces. pope francis has urged colombians to set aside any desire for revenge as they come to terms with a peace deal signed last year with farc rebels. he was speaking to huge crowds in bogota on the first full day of his visit to the country. now it's time for world business report. weathering the financial storm. harvey could overtake katrina as america's costliest hurricane, but will irma prove even more expensive? we look at the spiralling cost of extreme weather and who pays? plus, contingency plans. the boss of virgin atlantic tells us how they're helping custome

british naval helicopters have been in anguilla working off a navy auxiliary vessel but it's the speed of britain's input that's been criticised today. what we definitely need to see is a sustainable, if not continued and permanent commitment to support the development of anguilla, at present, we have had precious little support of significant quantities and we need that now. britain says it has responded as rapidly as possible. and is now offering more than £30 million of help. the fact is we had a royal naval vessel in the region because we knew the hurricane was coming. this is hurricane season. in fa ct, coming. this is hurricane season. in fact, we are always prepared. this is one of a number of rafjets heading to the region. in all there will be something like 300 royal marines on the ground over the space of the next two or three days. even when they arrive there, no one is fully clear yet what their operational role is going to be and where they can get to. the race to get help to the people of the caribbean now involves operations from more than a dozen countries. the governm

on hold. >> reporter: it's almost eerie approaching anguilla from the sea. a landscape stripped bare of the usual lush green backdrop. on shore, pieces of homes and businesses from an ocean where tourists swim. nearby, a jazz joint frequented by celebrities like danenzel washington and janet jackson. after the hurricane went through, did you expect this place to be here? >> i didn't. i didn't. in 1980, when hurricane louis came it knocked down flat. and this was more intense than louis. >> reporter: jonno has operated this for years. >> when you see the devastation, doing something is a good thing. >> reporter: johnno's is in sandy ground. rapper jay z has been to this island. justin bieber a couple years ago. and this was the pump house, one of the more popular night spots. now, this church is one of the oldest buildings on the island. here's the thing, it was meant to be a hurricane shelter. fortunately, nobody came. infrastructure, the main issue here. electricity out islandwide. >> we're totally devastated. as you look around, you can see almost 90% of t

you can't but be affected by the scale of devastation that the people of anguilla have endured. just going around this hospital, 60% of a damaged. but the royal marines, our troops, have been here since friday. you have just seen another contingent of royal engineers arriving with their tools, their spades and their axes and getting on with rebuilding the roofs and all of the other structures. that is going to be short—term work. what we need to be short—term work. what we need to think about that is how, as the uk, we can underline our commitment to these overseas territories and get them back on their feet for the long term. doesn't that mean changing the relationship between these rather forgotten islands and headquarters? no, the government of anguilla is in charge but i think people need to understand that there are some things that we can do collectively, working in partnership, to help the economy of these islands and we need to think about that and that is something certainly we will be taking back to london. the foreign secretary speaking a short time ago in angola

as the name suggests, the british virgin isles and anguilla are british overseas territories. and in an effort to deflect some of the criticism the uk government has been receiving, the foreign secretary has been flown in. this is him defending the british government's response. we are putting another £25 million into immediate effort and of course it needs it, massively. you can't but be affected by the scale of devastation that the people of anguilla have endured. just going around this hospital, 60% of it damaged. but the royal marines, our troops, have been here since friday. you have just seen another contingent of royal engineers arriving with their tools, their spades and their axes and getting on with rebuilding the roofs and all of the other structures. that is going to be short—term work. what we need to think about now is how, as the uk, we can underline our commitment to these overseas territories and get them back on their feet for the long term. meanwhile, in the united states, six people have died at a nursing home in hollywood, florida. it was left without p

the latest we hear from the british virgin islands and anguilla about the death toll after irma passed through the islands is that five people have died on the british virgin islands. 0ne people have died on the british virgin islands. one in anguilla, and we are told the death toll in the caribbean area is as many as 20, but some reports suggesting it will be more, of course, with aid and rescuers. 0f more, of course, with aid and rescuers. of course, not being able to get a complete picture of what has happened yet. let's get a little more on how the british virgin islands has been affected. nick cunha, who is a resident there, told me what people are doing to prepare themselves for the arrival of hurricane jose. really, people are still trying to gather supplies. some of the stores are open, some of the roads are open. 0n are open, some of the roads are open. on account of the community, they are pulling together. open. on account of the community, they are pulling togetherlj open. on account of the community, they are pulling together. i imagine this is a time when people are tryin

that is anguilla and barbuda, and as faras hit. that is anguilla and barbuda, and as far as we know the british virgin islands have also been very badly hit. there have been communication issues with those places. we are hoping to get onto the ground tomorrow, to the british virgin islands. the ship was in anguilla today and delivered the first assistance. we were the first there to do an assessment. they are moving to the british virgin islands to get a better picture of the needs. i think we have systems up and running in terms of the assessment, and i hope we will be able to make their decisions about how we can best persist in the coming hours and dates. the uk government has faced criticism that it has not responded quickly enough. let's go to the foreign office and matthew thomson. what is being done to help people? well, so far we know that theresa may has pledged £32 million in relief aid and currently a military task group is assembling at raf brize norton. a number of c17 globemaster aircraft there are being readied, we

if britain says that they are responsible for anguilla and anguillans, they need to stand up to their word. >> reporter: it's the anguillans who so far have done an extraordinary job in terms of clean-up, and will continue to shoulder the burden. british marines are making a difference though, lifting and shifting rubble at the hospital this morning. royal engineers, royally engineering a new roof, part of what is now britain's biggest overseas military deployment since libya seven years ago. but the criticism of too little, too late, is persistent here, from the street up to the political establishment. >> woodruff: we keep our focus on the caribbean and the havoc irma unleashed on the u.s. virgin islands. jordyn holman of bloomberg just returned after spending 36 hours in the u.s. territories, where some complain they're being forgotten. we begin with what she witnessed. >> so i went to the virgin island where's they were hit by a category 5 hurricane irma last week. so i went to st. thomas and st. john, which really got the brunt of the hurricane. i saw a lot of devastation, you kn

there has been some criticism, a former uk representative to anguilla says there should have been more boots on there should have been more boots on the ground and the french have been more organised, your response? we had our ship out already, it‘s exactly the right type of ship for this with its helicopter and its marines and it is already at work helping the people of anguilla, helping the people of anguilla, helping to clear roads, to restore power and get an accurate picture for that governor of what is happening on the island. so we are there and we are helping. obviously this is a huge challenge, more help will be needed, and that is what we have authorised today. family from your meeting, any sense of the scale of british casualties? reports of british casualties and people hit by flying debris, sadly. again some of the governors don‘t have accurate reports because it‘s simply these populations who are out of touch with the centre in a number of these territories. but these are british people, british nationals and we are going to help them as much as we can. michael fall

the island of anguilla. was spared much of the brunt of the storm because it was on the southern side. but barbuda, as you just reported was damaged to 95% of the buildings, and one casualty. it moved from there, and it also impact anguilla, the tiny island of anguilla, where we had one fatality as well and damage to a lot of critical facilities -- police station, hospitals, school facilities. three of four emergency shelters, a home for the infirm and the aged, as well as a fire station. we expect as well significant damage to the housing stock in anguilla. the teams are now musters to go out early in the morning to do a more detailed assessment. and in the british virgin islands, we've also got significant report of damage to private businesses, supermarkets, critical facilities, operational facilities that would be coordinating in this particular emergency, utilities. so it is quite significant and expensive damage in several of the caribbean territories. on the english caribbean side, but also on the dut

you can't but be affected by the scale of devastation that the people of anguilla have endured. in florida, five people have died at a nursing home that was left without power for days after the hurricane. a bbc survey of half a council blocks in the uk finds almost every of them does not have a sprinkler system to deal fires. theresa may has said ministers will look again at public sector pay before the budget — after criticism that the pay awards announced yesterday were still below inflation. does the prime minister understand that inflation is mayor 2% and anything less means dedicated public serva nts anything less means dedicated public servants are worse off anything less means dedicated public servants are worse off again and have been made worse off for the past seven years? there is a need for greater flexibility as we look at these issues on public sector pay in the future. we will be working on this in the lead up to the budget. also in the next hour, a warning from the president of the european commission that the uk will soon regret leaving the eu. in his annual

anguilla. indeed, it is a plight. the devastation is incredible. catastrophes is catastrophes. there are so many islands that have suffered under hurricane irma. so in relation, the response has as you speak with the people on the ground, all over theyor saying the response has been really lacking. we seem like the stepchild of this issue. it's unfortunate, but i thank you all, members of the press, both in the u.k. and in the u.s., for continuing to shed light on this because we will be relentless in making sure that the u.k. understands its obligation to its overseas territories. today we had a navy ship land. it deposited 50 marines. they came with their own pallets of water. just to put things in perspective, there was a helicopter that made one drop of aid to the island. you know what that was? two pallets of plywood. that's constituted the construction materials brought, where devastation just rebounds from village to village. this is unacceptable. and the people are making their voices h

i'll go deejay on anguilla. >> cool music on an island. that sounds like a fun gig, yeah. >>> we're learning new information about the united states that is considering shutting down its embassy in havana, cuba. relations have been stained after an accuoustic attack. >> u.s. officials are looking at who is responsible. patrick ofman has more for us from havana. >> reporter: it is an extremely strange story that the united states is taking seriously. rex tillerson threatened to shut down the u.s. embassy in havana, if there isn't clarification on who is carrying out awe custic attacks. certainly, it is an escalation of the worsening relations between havana and the united states. they think there are attacks that caused physical harm to them, everything from nausea, to headaches, to concussion-like symptoms. the kubelen government has denied any role in these attacks. has allowed the fbi to come to investigate. it's uncertain who is carrying out these alleged attacks and why. but u.s. officials claims they don't believe that cuba knows as l

things are improving but we are concerned about every island in the region and we have to make sure anguilla, first to receive aid, does not slot behind, so we are sending a military operation as soon as we possibly can. part of the reason you are sending troops is because there's a level of criminality, how bad are things? there has been across the region affected by hurricane irma, looting. across the region. i have just spoken to the governor, where things are improving. you have 125 british troops walking around working with the local police, and that has had a massive psychological effect. that is very positive and we have encouraged and we will not say things are altogether sorted out because the situation remains difficult but it is improving and the question is what can we do to help in anguilla. we will be sending any military operation as soon as we can. iwant any military operation as soon as we can. i want to stress that we are contributing a lot of money, 32 million we have announced. we will be matching anybody's to make via the red cross, but i also want to stress this isjust

the british overseas territory of anguilla has been badly affected a royal navy helicopter carrier is being sent to the region. the islands of barbuda and st martin were the first to feel the full force of the winds. then came puerto rico and next in line are cuba and florida. with phone lines down roads, destroyed by flooding and airports damaged communication is difficult. , our correspondent laura bicker sent this report from puerto rico. hurricane irma, a storm the size of france, has carved a destructive path through the caribbean. in puerto rico, three people were killed as winds battered the island. as daylight came and the clear—out began, most felt lucky to have survived such a terrifying storm. i pray god don't come here no more! this family told me they felt blessed to be alive and that the only damage was a downed power line and fallen trees in their street. they have kept eight—month—old aaron safe. there is a collective sigh of relief in puerto rico. there is work to be done. up to 30—foot waves threw up debris and downed trees. but when it comes to that catastro

, it's confirmed five people have been killed in the british virgin islands, another person died in anguilla. as the storm approaches florida, governor rick scott gave a stark warning to residents that they must seek shelter. in other news: the un warns of an unprecedented refugee crisis after nearly 300,000 rohingya muslims flee from myanmar to bangladesh. the manchester arena reopens tonight with a benefit concert, more than three months after the terrorist attack which killed 22 people. and england's cricketers wrap up the series against the west indies — good evening and welcome to bbc news. hurricane irma is continuing to sweep its way across the caribbean, en route to the us coast, leaving a path of devastation. in cuba, a million people — almost a tenth of the country's population — have been moved to safety, along with thousands of tourists. state media said it was the first time the eye of a category five storm had made landfall in the country for 85 years. winds pounded cuba's northern coast, causing flooding and bringing down power lines. the bahamas have largely been spared

it's understood he will travel to the british virgin islands and anguilla. the trip follows criticism from people in the caribbean and senior mps that the uk's response was too slow. meanwhile, the first british holidaymakers stranded in the us and the caribbean will start arriving back in the uk this morning. since last week, more than 12,500 flights, including thompson, british airways, and thomas cook, have been cancelled. our reporter, dave guest, is at manchester airport where some of those passengers are due to arrive. good morning to you. good morning. yes, well, of course, it is still a chaotic situation in florida, as we have been seeing. 10 million people are without power. a quarter of a million properties destroyed by hurricane month. there is still disruption to flights to be some people will be disappointed because a flight has been cancelled. there was going to be a thomas cook flight into terminal1 at was going to be a thomas cook flight into terminal 1 at 740 was going to be a thomas cook flight into terminal1 at 740 this morning. that has a

we had forces in the area specifically positioned to help out in these situations and she came into anguilla immediately after irma pass. and got the wrong way up and running and delivered immediate aid. sol running and delivered immediate aid. so i would say my personal view is i think will respond as quickly as possible. we were deploying on the thursday evening, late afternoon, early evening and on a plane friday morning. so for the armed forces i would have to save the speed of response, i would refute the fact that we did not do everything as quickly as we could. time for a look at the weather with nick miller. the latest news on hurricane maria just ahead but first the uk and it was a fine day across a large part of the uk with some good sunny spells around. you can see on the satellite picture the extent of the sunshine but also things changing from the atlantic as we have another weather system of union which will gradually bring in more clout across western parts of a night. some outbreaks of rain in northern ireland and western parts of scotland. eastern areas clear for longest and

it has been into anguilla and barbuda as well. it is within tens of miles to that centre. that went right over the top of them a couple of hours ago. within tens of miles of that, that is real you have the winds, the record breakers, the 200 mile an hour gusts. it is notjust for record breakers, the 200 mile an hour gusts. it is not just for those places and people in the eye of the storm, it is in the visitor of the eye of the storm as well. yes, i see tens of miles for the 185 miles plus per hour. but just tens of miles for the 185 miles plus per hour. butjust outside of that, for tens of miles, you have winds below that threshold. if it was in the uk, we would be saying, what is going on? we are talking in excess of hundreds of miles per hour tens of hundreds of miles per hour tens of miles from the centre. we‘re not done with the system yet. if we take on further, i am taking you through wednesday and on towards the weekend, you will see that having gone through the islands, we are into the area round about puerto rico, by thursday we suspect it will be the northern

in the british territory of anguilla, uk response was criticised as pathetic and disgraceful. the only hospital has been badly damaged and residents say they need food, water and shelter. a british task force is on its way there, including royal marines and army engineers. efforts are under way to get supplies to the island of saint barts. the french government says the priority is making sure people have food and drinking water. the british virgin islands is the latest place to be pummelled. it is a tropical paradise transformed. hurricane irma is not finished. she has maintained her wind speeds and is barrelling towards another british territory— the low—lying turks and caicos islands. the us sunshine state of florida will be nextin sunshine state of florida will be next in her sights. they are nervous after watching others injure her rat. in a moment we will speak to will grant rat. in a moment we will speak to willgrant in rat. in a moment we will speak to will grant in havana. first, the latest from laura bicker who is in portugal. there is so much damage, places cut