Hello, i m matthew amroliwala, welcome to verified live, three hours of breaking stories and checking out the truth behind them. We start with the ongoing political row here in the uk about Asylum Seekers� accommodation. The first people to be housed on a barge docked off the south coast of england have arrived with more expected later in the day. The barge called the Bibby Stockholm Will Be used to house up to 500 men while they wait for an outcome of their asylum applications. Campaigners have expressed concern about the conditions on board, but the government insists the vessel is safe and that it will help reduce the cost of placing migrants in hotels. Meanwhile, the charity care for calais which represents some of the refugees have said several Asylum Sekers have had their transfers cancelled today. Protestors have gathered close to the barge in dorset. This was the view a little earlier. I am against the barge, i think it is extremely dangerous. As has been proved by the fire brigade. I do not think they should be on the barge. Its like a prison. And i think a lot of them will have come from prisons, and it is appalling. Portland has not got the infrastructure, i can see that point of view. But we have to welcome them, they are here now. Those are some of the people at the same. These are the pictures live from dorset. You can see the ramp and the barge. We dont know the exact number of arrivals yet. We know more are expected through the course of the day, so we wait to get more details when we are live with our correspondent in a moment, but letsjust get more our correspondent in a moment, but lets just get more views in terms of what has actually happened today. Mikejones is Executive Director of migration watch uk, which campaigns for lower immigration to the united kingdom. He says the barge will be cheaper for taxpayers. Well, sort of intuitively, it makes sense that it would represent better value than housing somebody in a four or five star hotel. I mean, the statistics are quite stark. You know, youve got nearly well over 50,000 Asylum Seekers housed in subsidised accommodation. This costs the taxpayer about six million a day. The Asylum System itself costs about 3. 6 billion every year, and that doubled on the previous year. So, you know, obviously the government needs to find these alternative means of accommodation. It isnt a jail. They have en suite rooms, access to communal areas, Laundry Services provided, you know, catering services, there are primary Health Care Services available on the barge. So, you know, i mean, this isnt a conventional prison. And at the end of the day, there are probably exceptional cases where some of these people are genuine Asylum Seekers. But, you know, many of them clearly are illegal economic migrants who have paid organised criminal gangs vast sums of money to be here. And theyve spent a considerable amount of time outside of their home country. Ellie price is in portland in dorset. Has there been any confirmation in terms of the numbers who have arrived so far and what we are expecting through the course of today . In expecting through the course of toda . ,. ,. , � today . In a word no, there hasnt been. Today . In a word no, there hasnt been we today . In a word no, there hasnt been. We have today . In a word no, there hasnt been. We have seen today . In a word no, there hasnt been. We have seen a today . In a word no, there hasnt been. We have seen a number. Today . In a word no, there hasnt been. We have seen a number of| been. We have seen a number of vehicles come past. I think you can see some of the pictures from our helicopter that has been filming them. The home office i think its fair to say have been cagey about the numbers. We had a government source confirming this morning that there were already migrants on board, then later a Press Release from the home office saying actually they couldnt confirm anyone was on board but the barge was being readied. There was confusion you could say or actuallyjust the home office being cagey because i dont 0ffice being cagey because i dont think they want to put a number on it. We understand there could be around 50 migrants coming onto the barge within the next week or so. The capacity of the barge is 500, but i think the uk government here keen not to put a figure on it because they dont want to be seen to be judged. Because they dont want to be seen to bejudged. This is an important moment for them, a symbolic moment, seen, as you are hearing from your guest before, as part of the strategy of dealing with immigration in the uk. We strategy of dealing with immigration in the uk. ~. , ,. Strategy of dealing with immigration in the uk. ~. ,. ,. In the uk. We heard concern voiced but in fact they in the uk. We heard concern voiced but in fact they have in the uk. We heard concern voiced but in fact they have doubled but in fact they have doubled capacity on board, havent they . Yes, its been used to previously home workers on oil and gas rigs, it also been used in other countries for migrants but here they have doubled the capacity, basically putting bunk beds in previously single occupancy rooms. They invited reporters onto the barge a couple of weeks ago, colleagues tell me the rooms are fairly spacious with ensuite facilities and Entertainment Rooms with sofas and televisions, and a quiet room to have meetings with lawyers and that kind of thing. There is access to the internet. And they are not detained on the barge. There is a bus provided once every hour to take them into weymouth so they can get time on dry land as well. But this issue of what the conditions are like, there are protesters here now protesting against what they say is inhumane. The government say it is safe, it is appropriate and its functional. This fine line the government feels it is treading between providing what it must do to people who are seeking asylum in the uk versus being seen to deal with immigration and therefore not offering a soft touch. It is meant to be a deterrent, of course, this barge. Just a final thought because two newspapers have been briefing about possible use of the Ascension Islands if the rwanda policy fails in the courts. Is there a plan b being developed by the British Government . I being developed by the British Government . Being developed by the british covernment . , government . I was distracted while the bus came government . I was distracted while the bus came out, government . I was distracted while the bus came out, we government . I was distracted while the bus came out, we think government . I was distracted while the bus came out, we think that government . I was distracted while the bus came out, we think that is. The bus came out, we think that is one that dropped off some of the migrants. I think they are not focusing on plan b, is uk government tends to not like to think about plan b, but it is part of a broader strategy. Immigration is the sort of thing that wins and loses elections so a lot of pressure is being put on whether this works today. If it is seen to work, i think we can expect more barges to be popping up around coastal areas of the uk. At some of the other ideas trailed in the newspapers today come with bigger issues, and of course the uk government plan to take migrants waiting for their applications to be processed, sending them to live under is something that is already in the courts so there is plenty of legal argument around all of these things. But the government wants to be seen to be doing something. More from ou be seen to be doing something. More from you throughout be seen to be doing something. More from you throughout the course of the programme but thank you for now. Lets turn to the crisis in west africa over the Military Coup in niger. The countrys Military Leaders have closed airspace and put Border Forces on high alert, saying the country is ready to defend itself against any foreign aggression. The announcement came a day after the generals defied an ultimatum to reinstate the elected president or face armed intervention from other west african states. In response, the west African Regional bloc ecowas says it will hold an emergency summit in nigerias capital on thursday. Meanwhile, a delegation from the military governments of mali and burkina faso mali is on its way to niger to express solidarity with the junta. A little earlier nigers military said theres a continuing threat of outside intervention. The planning of this war has been carried out. Pre deployment of forces to take part in this war has begun in two Central African countries. Nigerias armed forces and all our defence and security forces, backed by the unfailing support of our people, are ready to defend the integrity of our territory and the honour of our homeland. 0ur correspondent chris ewoker is monitoring developments from neighbouring nigeria and hejoins us now. We heard the airspace is closed. The next move comes from the regional bloc, doesnt it . Bloc, doesnt it . Yes, expectedly the leaders bloc, doesnt it . Yes, expectedly the leaders of bloc, doesnt it . Yes, expectedly the leaders of the bloc, doesnt it . Yes, expectedly the leaders of the heads bloc, doesnt it . Yes, expectedly the leaders of the heads of the leaders of the heads of government of the West African Bloc say they will be Meeting On Thursday In Abuja and this is to deliberate on the decisions and also look at the situation in niger and probably take what action they think is necessary to follow up with a solution to ensure that Mohamed Bazoum is. In solution to ensure that Mohamed Bazoum ism solution to ensure that Mohamed Bazoum is. ,. ,. , bazoum is. In terms of the Closure Ofthe Bazoum is. In terms of the closure of the airspace. Bazoum is. In terms of the closure of the airspace, what bazoum is. In terms of the closure of the airspace, what Impact Bazoum is. In terms of the closure of the airspace, what impact is bazoum is. In terms of the closure of the airspace, what impact is that| of the airspace, what impact is that having . Of the airspace, what impact is that havin . ,. , having . Right now, with the Closure Ofthe having . Right now, with the closure of the airspace. Having . Right now, with the closure of the airspace, it having . Right now, with the closure of the airspace, it shows having . Right now, with the closure of the airspace, it shows the of the airspace, it shows the Military Leaders in niger are on high alert and they dont want to take any risk or any chances. Also, its also disrupted movements, not just into and out of the country but within this region. They are diverted from flying over niger. We are talking of the closure of an airspace, the land borders are closed especially from west african countries. We know that where i am now in north west nigeria shares a common boundary. Just a few kilometres away from here you have the border post between nigeria and niger, and that has been closed for over a week now. The borders are closed, which has also ensured that goods are not moved or probably products from this country that is from nigeria to niger or vice versa which is also in a way affecting businesses on both sides. We have also seen the cut of electricity from nigeria to niger, and that from what i understand is also affecting the people of niger seriously. Just a final quick the people of niger seriously. Just a final quick thoughts, because as they assess that regional bloc, whether to use Military Action or some sort of intervention, where our western states . Because they have supported ecowas but what about that particular area of any sort of Military Intervention . Particular area of any sort of Military Intervention . Well, first nicer has Military Intervention . Well, first niger has been Military Intervention . Well, first niger has been up Military Intervention . Well, first niger has been up till Military Intervention . Well, first niger has been up till the Military Intervention . Well, first niger has been up till the coup l Military Intervention . Well, firstj niger has been up till the coup a strong western ally, and that is where we have had the worst helping to fight insurgency. But right now, we are seeing a situation where after the co , mali and burkina faso which have been two countries showing their support for niger and in fact sending a delegation there. We are now hearing of france suspending. To burkina faso. The support for the neighbour country could also harm what decision the Ecowas Subregion or the leaders of Ecowas Subregion or the leaders of ecowas are likely to come up with, and it would also affect the fight against insurgency. Against insurgency. Chris, very close to the against insurgency. Chris, very close to the border against insurgency. Chris, very close to the border between i against insurgency. Chris, very close to the border between nigeria and niger, thank you for the latest. Around the world and across the uk, you are watching bbc news. Lets look at some other stories making news. New figures from the Mortgage Lender halifax says uk house prices have dropped for the fourth month in a row. They were down 0. 3 betweenjune and july. The cost of a typical home is nowjust over £285,000. A law charity has called for any deductions for living costs taken from compensation paid to wrongly convicted people to be returned retrospectively. Appeal, which last month helped quash the rape conviction of andrew malkinson, said all people whove been forced to pay should get the money back. The nhs system for seriously ill people requiring care at home is struggling to provide sufficient support. Thats according to families of people with complex medical needs, and it comes despite a significant increase in spending on so called continuing healthcare. The government says its putting billions of pounds into extra funding. We will have more on that story later in our programme. Youre live with bbc news. A grieving mother and her lawyer have been targeted by an extreme campaign of abuse after suing a � Conspiracy Theory newspaper� which falsely claimed her son died from a covid vaccine. The irish light repeatedly abused Adele Campbell online and its supporters have threatened her lawyer with execution. The bbc� s disinformation correspondent Marianna Spring has the story. Just take us through it. The irish light ran this front page in november of 2022, the end of last year, and the front page had the headline Died Suddenly and featured the picture of an 18 year old called diego, with 41 other people, and it somehow suggested their death was linked to the covid vaccine, which they refer to as untested. 0nly diego� s death was not mysterious. His family explained how he took his own life in august 2021, so his mother has decided to take legal action against the editor of the irish light. The cases for harassment with defamation, an attempt to hold to account the Conspiracy Theory newspapers and people pushing these ideas. Some of the hate that has ensued since that legal case was launched has been described as shocking by her lawyer. These are some of the messages i found on the channels belonging to the irish light and its editor directed at and about a grieving mother, describing her as a massive fraud, describing her as a massive fraud, describing her outrageous lies and suggesting she is mentally unstable in some way. Her lawyersaid he she is mentally unstable in some way. Her lawyer said he has also had threats of execution and shootings. Here he is explaining a little bit about the impact that kind of hate can have. Given how the irish light and their supporters conduct themselves, you can understand why a lot of people were incredibly reluctant to go to a solicitor or correspond directly when they saw the backlash with Adele Campbell. It may have been better for them and their views to take a step back and go, look, im just going to put this to the side. I cant deal with this. I put these allegations to the irish light paper, and they didn� t reply to any of the points i put to them but they did tweet this. They shared several tweets, one where they call me a disinformation agent, and one where they talk about me carrying out a Character Assassination and the editor of the irish light. You can hear more about this case and the cost of trying to hold to account Conspiracy Theory newspapers on my programme right now on bbc sounds. It on my programme right now on bbc sounds. , sounds. It does underline the repercussions sounds. It does underline the repercussions of sounds. It does underline the repercussions of trying sounds. It does underline the repercussions of trying to sounds. It does underline the | repercussions of trying to take sounds. It does underline the repercussions of trying to take on the conspiracy theorists. It repercussions of trying to take on the conspiracy theorists. The conspiracy theorists. It does and thats the conspiracy theorists. It does and thats a