in belarus, imprisoned and held in isolation. we have a special report. and, great britain's kieran reilly wins bmx freestyle gold, at the world championhips, in glasgow. on bbc london. on newsnight at 10:30pm: as the first asylum—seekers board the government's barge in dorset, we look at the asylum system as a whole. is it fit for purpose? we'll speak to representatives from the conservatives and labour. hello... it's a controversial policy, that's attracted attention around the world. it's been attacked by human rights groups and is subject to legal challenge. but today, the first of possibly hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers, moved onto a giant barge docked in dorset, to be housed while they await the outcome of asylum applications. the government says the vessel, which can accomodate up to 500 men, will be better value than hotels costing £6 million a day. but concerns have been raised about the possible impact on local services, and campaigners have called it a "shameful" way to treat people, who are often fleeing war or persecution. danjohnson has our lead story tonight, and joins us from portland, where the barge is docked. yes, it has been a difficultjourney getting to this point. it has been deeply controversial and whether you are supportive or not, and there are all sorts of voices united in opposition to this, it is a moment, it marks a key chain in the national attitude, the approach of the government. the state on behalf of us all towards migrants, refugees, those potentially vulnerable and in need. in truth, what happened here today was always going to bigger, about more thanjust today was always going to bigger, about more than just this barge and these men. this vessel is part of these men. this vessel is part of the government's answer to what has been such a difficult question. a tough, national debate that has been long—standing and contentious. what does this say about the welcome we extend to those seeking asylum? are these the first steps towards a tougher stance, long overdue to reduce costs and deter bogus claims? or are these potentially traumatised refugees, dehumanised and now denied even the stability of dry land? these men carry the added weight of the government's determination to address migration differently. we successfully on—boarded the first cohort today. there were 15 people on board. we have had a few challenges but this is part of an ongoing, structured process to bring a cohort of up to 500 people on board. there have been some challenges, some minor legal challenges. i can't go into the detail of those. but accommodation is offered to all individuals on a no—choice basis. refugees are welcome here! some in this community are pleased to see them here, and, despite opposing their accommodation, are trying to add some comfort. we wanted, really, just a show we cared. we wanted to show that, actually, there is support from the local community and we partly wanted to help them, give them some of the things they might need. portland itself hasn't got the infrastructure. i can see that point of view. but we have to welcome them. they're here now, we have to welcome them. charity begins at home! but voices like ian's are hard to ignore. this is my island. pleading for portland to come first. this isn't being racist, i this is us saying we need to look after ourselves. they have ensuite showers, they are getting three - cooked meals a day. really, they are living like kings. we need this to go up from portland. this is the welcome for the asylum seekers as they arrive on the buses here. but i think what this shows is the division in this community, and the strength of feeling on both sides. beset by delays, loaded with contention. when journalists were shown around, we were told operational by the end ofjuly. but there were safety issues. the fire service raised concerns, then the fire brigades union called it a death trap. ministers highlight a safety record housing oil rig workers and asylum seekers in other countries. but bunk beds and shared rooms have doubled its capacity, and added worry. we need to remember these are human beings. they are people, and they have dreams and aspirations just like everybody else. the small boats crossings are dangerous, deadly. absolutely. the hotel bills are enormous. is it not right to tackle this? the way to tackle something like that is to prevent it, and the way to prevent that is to invest properly in the asylum and immigration system. 20 men are refusing to move, fearful of conditions here, floating with 500 others. but more are due this week. the vessel and the policy it is the flagship four are no longer empty. danjohnson, bbc news, portland. today we learnt that the number of asylum seekers in hotels in the uk, is at record levels, up 3,000 since march. our home editor, mark easton has been looking in more detail, at how the government is trying to solve the problem. why do we need a barge for asylum seekers? you might think it is down to all those illegal migrants crossing the channel, but the real problem lies elsewhere. yes, the number of annual asylum applications has increased recently, now up 46,500 on the 2018 figure. but in the same period, the backlog of people waiting for the home office to make a decision on their claim has risen by 137,000 — three times the number. the backlog was rising before the increase in applications and is still at near record levels. every asylum seeker stuck in the system needs somewhere to live. and that, frankly, has proved a nightmare. the home office had to requisition rooms in hotels. currently there are around 50,500 asylum seekers in hotel rooms, up 3,000 in three months, and at a cost of about £6 million a day. and ministers agree that is unacceptable. so where to put all these people the government increased payments to local authorities who accommodate asylum seekers but many councils are still reluctant to take them. ministers looked at former military and prison sites. wethersfield in essex. raf scampton in lincolnshire. northeye in east sussex. and even catterick in the prime minister s constituency in north yorkshire was talked about. but local opposition and legal challenges mean that, as i speak, only wethersfield has seen any asylum seekers arrive , and only 46 of them. which leads us to the bibby stockholm, moored in a private port with capacity for 500 people the home office wants to move out of hotels. but remember there are 50,000 asylum seekers in hotels, so we would need 100 barges to empty all those rooms. the government is pinning its hopes on stopping the flow of asylum seekers, criminalising those who come here by irregular routes, detaining them and removing them, possibly to rwanda. but the rwanda policy is also stuck in the courts and ministers are getting increasingly concerned the problem will get worse before it gets any better. clive. mark easton, or home editor reporting. the lionesses march on, but it was a nervy encounter against nigeria, at the women s football world cup. they won 11—2 in a dramatic penalty shoot—out, surviving half an hour of extra—time with ten players, after laurenjames was sent off. they now face colombia orjamaica on saturday. from brisbane, here's our sports correspondent, katie gornall. england are back in brisbane but the landscape is changing around them. with the top teams falling by the wayside they are favourites to be the last one standing. whatever happened, nigeria were going to enjoy it. unbeaten in the group stages they had been hitting all of the right notes. ten days ago keira walsh must have feared her world cup was over. now she is back. she was made to work. another dangerous ball in! off the bar! nigeria are below england in terms of ranking and resources but they were more than a match on the pitch. what a save from earps. ashleigh plumptre once an england youth international was at the centre of everything for the super falcons. a stalling england needed a push and they got a shove, rachel daly hit the deck. a penalty, or was it? the referee decided later that she had been a bit eager. the decision is no penalty. the frustration was building. in their last match england were flying, here they looked disjointed, occasionally there were chances... rachel daly! what a save. but the goalkeeper wouldn't be beaten. the tension rising, cool heads were needed, not this. laurenjames has been one of the stars of the world cup but here was an unwanted headline. red card for violent conduct. her red card left england facing extra time a player down. they would have to dig deep. somehow they clung on. full—time. it is penalties in brisbane. this was a nerve—shredding watch for england fans and it would only get worse as georgia stanway, first up, faltered. fortunately for england, nigeria, with history on the line, could not take advantage, leaving chloe kelly, who else, to secure england's survival. kelly smashes england through! they have got themselves into the final eight of this women's world cup. we did it in the euros. we are here again tonight and doing it. we keep pushing forward. there is more to come from this special team. i don't think i will have my voice for a week. . my heart is going. that was tight. i cannot believe we are in the quarterfinals. literally stoked. we have flown all the way for this tournament and ijust cannot believe it. it was a dramatic and fortunate escape from england and even when they are not at their best, they find a way to win. england can count themselves fortunate, they dug deep and they fought and showed resilience and they held their nerve when it really mattered. they will face either jamaica or colombia in the quarterfinal and they will find out in around 12 hours or so. they will be without their leading scorer, laurenjames, the red card mean she misses the next game. she could be out for longer if they look at the stamp and decide it merits a longer ban. but the quarterfinal line—ups are taking shape. australia, the co—hosts are through after beating denmark in melbourne last night and there was an appearance late on for there was an appearance late on for the poster girl, sam kerr, who came off the bench, herfirst the poster girl, sam kerr, who came off the bench, her first appearance at this world cup. a very comfortable for australia. we cannot say the same about england, but as the players wake up in brisbane, all they will care about is the fact that they are through. indeed, thank you. three hill walkers have been found dead, after failing to return from a trek in glencoe. police scotland say the bodies of two men and a woman were discovered during a search, when they didn't return from anyak eggar ridge, over the weekend. alexandra mckenzie has the very latest from glencoe. the mountains of glencoe. stunning, exhilarating, but often dangerous. the search focused on the aonach eagach ridge, thought to be one of the narrowest in the uk, it runs around six miles. it is exposed and challenging for those who attempt it. at its most exciting point, it breaks into a series of sharp, rocky pinnacles. making progress at that stage is more akin to mountaineering or rock climbing than a walk, as most laypeople will understand it. you're using your hands and you are climbing up and over these rocky pinnacles. but it's spectacular. it also quite an uncompromising location. the search and recovery operation was hampered by mist and fog. it involved coastguard helicopters and the raf, and glencoe mountain rescue teams. the alarm was raised on saturday evening. but the terrain was difficult. a coastguard helicopter from prestwick provided additional support, before the bodies of the two men and women were recovered. many walkers and climbers traverse the ridge safely every year. but this is a sad reminder that lives can so easily be lost. alexandra mckenzie, bbc news, glencoe. an inquest has begun into the death of a 27—year—old man, whose family believe he died due to chronic damp and mould in their rented property. luke brooks, who was from oldham, suffered breathing problems in october last year. fiona trott has that story. the day they wanted and dreaded. it was time to tell luke's story. the story they told us when we first visited them in the house where luke died. he had plans. he's never going to experience love, he's never going to have children. he said his chest felt sore. we said we'd keep an eye on it but it progressively got worse to the point where he could hardly breathe. two days after that he was dead. gone. there was mould everywhere. it was even on their clothes. caused by nine years of disrepair, they believe, and constant leaks. this is luke's room. where was the mould? all around the windows. it's ridiculous. freezing cold. there was mould all across here. my mind starts racing and i start thinking about him and then i cannot stop crying. he was my rock. my best mate. beautiful lad. why couldn't they just fix it? why couldn't they look after it? nine years of hell we have had. nine years of hell. surviving the cold. surviving this, surviving that. it should be about surviving. we've not had a life of me and my family. it has just been this house. today we got a sense the family felt they really had no voice. luke's mum begged oldham council, for god sake, please get us out of that house before somebody dies. environmental health were told about mould and asbestos concerns but no follow—up visits were carried out until after luke died. as for the landlord himself, luke's parents were afraid to speak up, they were worried if we started hounding him he would evict us and they were told to tell environmental health to back off. we understand the landlord owns several properties in the area. we've approached the landlord for comment but haven't yet had a response. oldham council expressed their deepest condolences and said they were unable to discuss the case until the inquest was over. patsy and jimmy have now moved. it's very different, isn't it? it's a different life and a difficult one, but they hope the inquest will help. we've got to try. it's not going to be easy. uk house prices fell for the fourth month in a row injuly, with the mortgage lender the halifax saying the fall is 2.4% on the year before. but the picture varies region to region. the south east of england had the biggest fall of 3.9%, while in wales, it was 3.3%. but in the west midlands, prices remained stable. the average house price for the whole of the uk, is nowjust above £285,000, but again there are regional variations, with the highest costs in greater london, and the lowest average in the north east of england. let's get more from coletta smith, who's been in skipton. three months ago, rosie's life was turned upside down. i was sitting on my stairs and just breaking down in tears. with a two—year—old and another on the way, she and her husband were evicted, as the landlord was selling up. we didn't know what to do. there were no rentals about. you were forced into buying? forced into it, really. despite working for a building society and having two good wages they needed help from family to get the deposit. you're never secure, you don't know what your landlord is going to do, if he will opt your rent by £200 a month and if you can't afford it you have to find somewhere else but everyone else will be charging the same and i'm just so glad i have that security now, it feels like one less worry in life. a fall in property prices is actually going to help some people to get a foot on the ladder. we haven't actually seen a fall over the last couple of months in the number of first—time buyers getting hold of properties, and some lenders are reporting a significant increase. leeds and skipton building society says they both have racket numbers are first—time buyers. halifax say people are getting round higher mortgages by changing what they are buying. sophie is seeing that too. renters doing whatever they can to make sure they still buy. if they had their heart set on a three orfour if they had their heart set on a three or four bedroom property, if they had their heart set on a three orfour bedroom property, it might be that they are going for a smaller property, more within their budget. but it is still allowing them to buy their own home and still be within the same cost they were paying if they were renting. lenders say this price drop is understandable, given the spike we saw after the pandemic. we saw a massive amount of housing transactions over the last couple of years which pushed up house prices, and if you look back at the last two years rather than the last year, house prices are still up by 15%. so while some pause to see what happens next, others will seize the moment to get a property whatever the cost. feels like the best decision i've ever made. it felt like home the minute we walked in. let's take a look at some of the other top stories. a man has been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child, after a 12—year—old boy, callum rycroft, was hit by a car on the m62 in west yorkshire on saturday. matthew rycroft is due before magistrates tomorrow. hospital consultants have announced new strike dates in september, if the government doesn't agree to more pay talks. ministers say their 6% offer is final. the senior doctors took industrial action for two days injuly, and are already due to strike again, later this month. the video communications company zoom, which became synonymous with remote working during the pandemic, has ordered staff back to the office. the firm says it believes a hybrid approach is more effective, and people living within 50 miles of an office should work in person, at least twice a week. the oscar—winning film director william friedkin has died at the age of 87. he became famous in the 1970s with the classic horror film the exorcist, and the crime thriller the french connection. he was given a lifetime achievement award at the venice film festival in 2013. those opposing the leader of belarus' autocratic regime, alexander lukashenko, of course face imprisonment, but now it seems, must also endure total isolation in jail too. they include the opposition activist maria kolesnikova, who was sentenced to 11 years for her role in peaceful street rallies three years ago, following widespread calls for lukashenko to step down. the bbc�*s eastern europe correspondent, sarah rainsford, has been speaking to maria's sister in warsaw, and to other opposition supporters living in exile in poland. the good will definitely win everything, because evil will defeat itself. writing to her sisterfrom prison, maria kolesnikova has never given up her political fight — her hope for change in belarus. keep strong and everything will be all right. your sister, maria. but her family haven't heard a word for months now. maria's energy and her huge smile helped rally these giant protests three years ago against the authoritarian rule of alexander lu kashenko. but maria kolesnikova was jailed for 11 years. and now she's being held in total isolation. it became an incommunicado detention, where we don't have any news. which must be pretty scary, right, for you? for sure, yeah. i could just hope that it will not break her. alexander lukashenko crushed the protests to stay in power, but he didn't crush the spirits of everyone. in warsaw, in exile, these granny activists are filming skits for social media. they're sending up lukashenko's supporters, fighting a repressive regime by laughing at it. anna's home has been searched, her relatives threatened, but she told me she can't stay silent. translation: i think it's a betrayal. - if we don't speak out, who will? in belarus, everyone is silent because it's impossible to say a thing there. so every week in warsaw, belarusians gather. some are former prisoners themselves. others have relatives behind bars. they all had to flee here for safety. of course, in terms of scale, this is nothing like the kind of protests that we saw three years ago inside belarus itself. it is really hard to keep that protest spirit alive once you're in exile. but that is what these people are trying to do, and to send the message that the repression inside belarus hasn't stopped. that's why inga now lives in a shelter in poland with her son. the police came for her two years after the mass protests, when they found a photo of her on a friend's phone with an opposition flag. in custody she says they were treated like animals. but that's not what upsets her most. translation: all these amazing, educated people are all in prison. | that's so hard. just for our words. inga knows she can't go back to belarus or she'd be arrested again. and opposition supporters aren't just being locked up there now, they're being kept in isolation. sarah rainsford, bbc news, warsaw. a man who spent 17 years in prison for a rape he didn't commit has won further grounds in a court of appeal bid to clear his name. andy malkinson�*s conviction was formally quashed last month, after dna evidence linking another man to the crime came to light. today, judges further ruled that his conviction was unsafe because of police failures to disclose crucial evidence. our home affairs correspondent, daniel sandford, has that story. less than a fortnight ago, andy malkinson finally gotjustice. he was cleared of rape after wrongly spending 17 years in prison. today, the appeal court judges gave their reasons. not only had new dna evidence exonerated him, but evidence that greater manchester police had at the time of his trial wasn't given to his lawyers. these were photographs of the rape victim's hand that supported his case and the criminal background of two key witnesses that undermined the prosecution's case. he said today it only added to his suspicions about the police force. those are huge disclosure failures by the greater manchester police. they had control of the evidence and they chose not to disclose these vital pieces of evidence, and you can only conclude that that was because... i'm not even going to say it. let the viewers finish that sentence. but it makes you very suspicious of how they were acting at the time? yeah, yeah, yeah. andy malkinson got another apology from greater manchester police today, for what the force admitted was an appalling miscarriage of justice. today's detailed judgment from the court of appeal is devastating. it means that andy malkinson didn't have to wait for advances in dna to clear his name, he might have done so at the time of his trial if his lawyers had been given all the evidence, and he might have done so when the criminal cases review commission first looked at his case and turned him down. it tookjames burley, an investigatorfor a campaign group, to find the evidence in the police file. he told me this case shows a clear weakness at the ccrc, the body that's supposed to help victims of miscarriages ofjustice. they seem to have this kind of view that simply going and investigating is a kind of fishing expedition. and the question i would pose to the ccrc is, "how else do you catch fish?" you've got to look. if you don't look, you won't find, and the ccrc unfortunately too often will come up with excuses where they won't do an investigation. the ccrc said... andy malkinson said he now wants a meeting with thejustice secretary, alex chalk kc, to ask for urgent reform of both the ccrc and the system for compensating victims of miscarriages ofjustice. daniel sandford, bbc news at the court of appeal. at the cycling world championships in glasgow, great britain's kieran reilly pulled off an impressive run in the bmx freestyle park event to take the gold medal. the 22—year—old beat all—comers, including the reigning world and olympic champions. nesta mcgregor watched all the action. bmx freestyle. where we see an obstacle, a rider sees an opportunity — although the weather is a lot harder to overcome. but after the mop up, came the magic. britain's kieran reilly, with maybe a career—defining run. complex, composed and — more importantly — clean. having done his part, it was a nervous wait with six rivals still to ride. so, there you have it. confirmation, the scores are in. kieran rilley, the current european champion, is now the world champion. what a moment for the 22—year—old from newcastle. this is insane, honestly. if there was a world champs that i could choose to win, it would be a home one. so just adds to the calibre of the event for me and i'm so proud to do it in front of a home crowd, with all my family and friends here. it's amazing. and now it's charlotte worthington, the current olympic champion. could she make it a british double here? in short, no. at 27, the riderfrom manchester was the oldest competitor in the women's final and finished seventh. as for kieran reilly, he's only been world champion for a matter of hours, but he's already got next year's olympics in his sights. nesta mcgregor, bbc news, in glasgow. time for a look at the weather. here's stav da naos. thank you very much, good evening. there was a promise for something warmerfor all there was a promise for something warmer for all of there was a promise for something warmerfor all of us by there was a promise for something warmer for all of us by the end of the week, before we reached that point, the next couple of days look a bit disappointing for the south of the country, better further north. the very deep area of low pressure you can see over scandinavia is causing all sorts of problems. flash flooding, very heavy rainfall, strong and damaging wind. difference moving in across the south of the country tonight and tomorrow, nothing as severe. just bringing some patchy rain and drizzle, some low cloud, mist and fog for parts of south—west england and wales. further north, the clearer skies, it will turn quite chilly. double figures further south. a north and south divide tomorrow. drizzly rain pushing eastwards and we will continue to have some sea fog and low cloud across south—western areas of wales. further north, northern england, scotland, northern ireland, a brighter day for you, with