Day tomorrow. Single figures in some rural spots. Tomorrow, day tomorrow. Single figures in some ruralspots. Tomorrow, rain day tomorrow. Single figures in some rural spots. Tomorrow, rain at times to Northern Ireland, scotland and Northern England. Patchy rain. East and east anglia staying dry, if not dry. The temperature is head up a little bit as we start the new week. From mid week, they come right back down again. This hello, this is bbc news. The headlines labours brexit spokesman, sir keir starmer, says mps who want to stop a no deal brexit will seek to bring forward legislation against it this week. The cabinet minister reponsible for no deal preparations, michael gove, refuses to commit the government to follow parliaments orders, if no deal legislation is passed. The eus lead brexit negotiator, michel barnier, says the uk has now reached a moment of truth he rejects borisjohnsons demand for the irish backstop to be scrapped. Pro democracy activists in hong kong target the citys airport after a night of violence in which dozens of people were injured. Political leaders from across the world gather in poland to mark the 80th anniversary of the start of world war ii, as the german president asks for polands forgiveness at the event. Now on bbc news witness history Tiananmen Square remembered in china. Also how britain pioneered an alternative to prison. Hello, and welcome to witness history with me, tanya beckett, here at the Royal Academy in london. Today we present five extraordinary moments from history as told to us by the people who were there. Coming up the british alternative to prison that was copied around the world. The moment idi amin expelled thousands of ugandan asians in the 1970s, and the artist couple who wrapped germanys reichstag in fabric. But first, we go back to a defining moment in modern chinese history. In 1989, the chinese army opened fire on tens of thousands of students in Tiananmen Square, in the centre of beijing. Theyd been demonstrating for weeks, demanding greater political freedom. Dan wang was one of the protest leaders and this is his account of what happened. Journalist the noise of gunfire rose from all over the centre of peking. Translation someone called us from a phone box in a street near Tiananmen Square. He said, the government had opened fire on students. Id never thought anything like that would happen. I was in shock the troops had been firing indiscriminately, but still, there are thousands of people on the streets who will not move back. We immediately organised about 200 students to go to Tiananmen Square to support the others. But all the main roads were blocked by army lorries. I was in my first year in peking university. I was 20 years old. I played a leading role from the very beginning of the protests. We went onto the streets to demand democracy. Although the communist party had tried to reform, it hadnt done enough. Chanting. And we wanted to pay tribute to the communist party leader, hu yaobang, who had just died. We students loved him deeply because he was open minded. I left Tiananmen Square around noon onjune the third. Although we all knew we were surrounded by troops, people were smiling. Everyone was so optimistic that we were going to win. 0n the evening ofjune third, i was in my dormitory in peking university with other students, discussing the future of our protests. Tanks and troops are patrolling the streets of central peking after the bloody operation to crush student led protests. Some reports say more than 2,000 civilians were killed in last nights army assault on Tiananmen Square, held for seven weeks by students demanding greater democracy and an end to corruption. Other students told me i had to hide. They hid me in the other universities and i went on the run for about a month. I didnt have a radio to listen to updates about the crackdown. I didnt dare turn on the tv either. After being on the run for a month, i decided to go back to beijing. Because i realised that the longer a head, the more guilty i hid the more guilty i would look. I didnt want to live like a rat hidden in a tiny room, never coming out for daylight. As soon as i went back to beijing, i was arrested. I was in prison for nearly a year before i was put on trial. Then, i was sentenced to four years injail. I even thought i would be executed because i was number one on the chinese governments wanted list. It turned my life upside down. I had always been the top student, and i was a leader in the communist party youth league. Whod have thought i would end up in prison, and then, in exile . The Tiananmen Square crackdown changed my whole life. Otherwise, i would be a poet. The former Tiananmen Square protest leader dan wang. Next, the story behind a legal reform that has changed many lives. In 1972, england and wales became the first countries to pioneer a new alternative to prison. It was called Community Service. The scheme was soon copied around the world. We hear from one of the people in charge of implementing this new sentence for criminals. Journalist britain has one of the Worlds Largest prison population. We maintain 42,000 prisoners in victorian conditions designed for half that number. It costs more than twice as much to send your son to wormwood scrubs as it does to send them to eton. Prison sentences, particularly short term prison sentences were not effective. About 70 of people who were serving less than 12 months were being reconvicted. So prison in that sense was a failure. Some of the younger chaps who are in here, they come in here, well, with small sentences and go out as animals the great and the good in legal terms began to think we must be able to do something more constructive as an alternative to prison, and Community Service was at least a worthwhile experiment to see if we could have some positive results and reduce the level of reoffending. In 1972, the then home secretary introduced the criminaljustice act, which brought forward Community Service orders is a new method Service Orders as a new method of reducing the prison population. This was completely new. In fact, it was a world first. As an alternative to prison, an offender is given between 40 240 hours. Its a penalty, a fine on time, and hes expected to do constructive work in the community. I was the senior probation officer responsible for the introduction of Community Service in one pilot in nottinghamshire. Any sentence of the court is a punishment, i think thats one point we have got to go with very clearly. 0n the other hand, i think you could use Community Service as a springboard for rehabilitation. Some people say its a form of reparation, making up for the damage ones done in the past. We had people on Community Service for burglary, for theft, grievous bodily harm, dangerous driving, all kinds of different offences. Come on, come on, you can do better than that. We had negotiated a whole series of tasks with voluntary organisations, with Public Sector organisations, social services, hospitals, youth clubs. The benefits to the community are obvious enough. This church hall has had £3,000 worth of work done by offenders. People who had been in trouble felt valued. They learnt new social skills. In that sense, it bore great fruit. Sports night at a youth club in nottingham. The instructor is an ex boxer and an ex convict. Bobby mccoll, age 32, has spent 20 years inside. Hes been convicted of robbery with violence and would be in jail again today if he hadnt been given an alternative, 200 hours Community Service in his spare time. All the times ive been inside, i knew no matter what i said or what i wrote to people, that eventually i was going to be in trouble again. But this time, just, i dont think so. We had more lasting effects in terms of staying out of trouble than those people who had been into prison and didnt have the benefit of a Community Service order. And it was about the third of the cost of prison. We had lots of visitors from overseas countries wanting to study our legislation. We became the most copied piece of legislation in the western world. But i think these days politicians talk up punishment because i suspect it gets you votes with members of the public. The pioneering probation officerjohn harding. Now, we stay in the 1970s over in uganda, in east africa, the dictator idi amin was in power an in august 1972, was in power and in august 1972, he announced plans to expel the countrys asian population. About 60,000 people were given 90 days to leave the country. Gita watts tells witness history about her familys traumatic experience. We had 90 days to sort everything out and get out of the country and he made an impression that if we didnt get out on time well be sitting on fire. It is estimated that there are more than 12,000 towns and villages like this in uganda and in every one of them, the government is pressing its campaign against the asian traders. The Asian Community was really close knit. So all the asian shops were sort of enrolled together and we all knew each other. Each family and all the kids knew each other. We were not well off but we were comfortable. People started rushing to the embassies and my dad had to sign everything over. That means his assets and his business over to the ugandan bank. We were given £55 thats all he was allowed to take with him. It was just unbelievable, after everything that he earned, he was just left with £55. When we first got to the airport, peoples luggage was opened out and clothes and everything thrown everywhere so they can check for gold and money, and for some reason my parents put a ring on my finger and we were told to get that ring off me and because the ring was so tight, we had a struggle to take it off and my parents tried everything to take this ring off and in the end it was cut off. The scariest bit was that we had soldiers with guns and knives, im surrounded, im panicking really to get this ring off. It was a relief that we actually got on this plane and the planes taking off and were safe, and probably for my dad, he was probably thinking, you know, he got through, he got his family out of the country at last, but he was leaving back something that he really loved, the country that he loved. News archive the asians arrived in cold, wet weather at stansted. Whole families had arrived with little cash. The few belongings they brought often seemed of nothing more than sentimental value. The time of the year that we arrived as well, it was like the wintertime and that made it worse as well with the rain and the snow. Id not seen the snow before. We were scared cos we didnt know where we would go. My mum was told that to take us to leicester, a town called leicester, we didnt know what it was like. We didnt know any english. When i grew up and went to secondary school, i came through a lot of abuse, racial abuse from kids, again calling names and waiting for me outside school and wanting to beat me up and not liking my colour. Recently we just went back to uganda. I just wanted to see the country that i was born in and why my parents loved that country so much. It was nice to go back to the hospital where i was born. It really was an amazing experience. Gita watts, who had to begin a new life in britain. Remember, you can watch witness history every month on the bbc news channel or you can catch up on all of our films along with 1,000 radio programmes in our online archive. Just Search Online for bbc witness history. Next we go to cuba. Injuly 1989, four top cuban Army Officers were sentenced to death and executed after being convicted of drug trafficking. But critics of the regime believe the case was in fact a political attempt to punish the officers for advocating change in Fidel Castros communist cuba. We hearfrom ileana de la guardia, the daughter of one of the executed men. News archive it was the show trial that shook havana. General arnaldo 0choa, a former comrade in arms of fidel castro and hero of the revolution, was sentenced last friday to be shot by firing squad along with three other Army Officers. Translation when they read out that my father antonio de la guardia, as well as 0choa and the others, were all sentenced to death, it came as a massive shock. My father looked over to where i was sitting but i didnt want to start crying. Some of the other relatives broke down and cried, but i didnt want to show that weakness. Maybe it was my way of giving my dad a little hope. My father, antonio de la guardia, was head of a government department, created by fidel castro, tasked with breaking the us blockade on cuba. His job was to smuggle in high tech equipment from the us. My father was accused of being in contact with drug traffickers. It was said that was the only reason he was executed. But for me, it was all about politics. Fidel castro wanted to do away with a group of officers who had different opinions to those of the regime. From about 1985, we began to feel the influence in cuba of the reforms in the soviet union perestroika. These were issues that were being openly talked about here. My friends and i used to sit in the garden with my father and talk about how if things were changing in eastern europe, then cuba should change too. I didnt imagine that expressing those opinions could mean being arrested and then executed. The trial was filmed every day. It lasted a week and was broadcast each night on tv. It was totally controlled the accused could only say yes 01 no. The last time i visited him injail was just days before his execution. By then, it was obvious that we were going to lose him. He asked me to look after my younger brothers and my grandparents. The death sentence was carried out onjuly 13th. The families were informed by telegram. On each anniversary of his death, its my duty to make sure he is remembered as he really was. What id like now for my family is for the cuban government to recognise that they committed a great injustice. Ileana de la guardia is still in exile in paris. Now, to one of europes most dramatic public art projects. In june 1995, artists christo and Jeanne Claude wrapped the former German Parliament building, the reichstag, in fabric. More than 5 Million People came to see it and became a symbol for berlins renewal after the fall of the wall and the collapse of communism. Christo tells witness history how they did it. News archive its an eccentric dream, but one that a husband and wife team have cherished for nearly a quarter of a century, and this weekend, the bulgarian born artist and his wife Jeanne Claude began wrapping the German Parliament building in silver fabric. It is very difficult to explain if you dont see it. No drawings, no sketch, no scale model can match the complexity of the project. The fabric is actually not completely touching the stone, the surface of the structure. The project started in 1972. The cold war is still in full speed, the berlin wall was built, permission to wrap the reichstag was refused three times. If the wall will not fall down, probably well never do the reichstag. News archive for more than two decades, the artists christo and his wife Jeanne Claude have wanted work with the building that, for them, symbolised the cold war. You know, i was born in bulgaria in 1935 highly sovietic, communist country, and i escaped to the west alone, speaking only russian and bulgarian. Coming from a communist country, i tried to do something involving the east west relationship. News archive its been bombed and set on fire, seen war and revolution, but never before has the reichstag been wrapped in silver fabric. We never can believe what is the project until we see it in real. News archive christo himself is paying for the project, helped substantially by sales of his sketches and other work. The reichstag cost us 12 million in 1995. Probably today it is about 20 million or 25 million. It was wrapped by nearly 100 rock climbers. They come down, installing all this 100,000 square metres of fabric for one week. Now, Jeanne Claude and myself, we are both together artists. This is why i miss so much Jeanne Claude today, we were partners, we lived together we fight together and it is like an adventure that you cannot repeat. News archive this novel treatment, as they say, in the classic tradition of art. The reichstag was a victorian building with a lot of ornaments, decoration, suddenly it was changed, like a sketch, like what is essential of the height, the width, the forms and they are all hidden by this fragile material that moves with the wind, in constant motion. News archive the building took on a shrine like nature and was treated with something approaching reverence. Its very special and it always changes with the light. First time in history probably that this building is nice and makes people happy. I came to germany especially to see this project and i think it is great. Well, i dont know really what the point is. News archive for two weeks, the areas witnessed one continuous party with scenes reminiscent of when the berlin world came down six years ago. Everybody who came to see the project and there were 5 Million People in two weeks in the reichstag they know that they were seeing something that will never happen again. News archive last night was the final and the Biggest Party with 100,000 people swarming around the building well into the early hours. Today, the dismantling work began and germanys former and future Parliament Building came blinking into the summer sunshine. And then rebuilding starts, ready for the German Parliament which arrives in 1998. After two weeks, it is gone forever, cannot be repeated. Something happened that will stay forever in that particular unique moment. The remarkable artist christo. Thats all from witness history this month here at the Royal Academy. Well be back next month with more first hand accounts of extraordinary moments in history. But for now, from me and the rest of the witness history team, goodbye. Story so far today has been plenty of sunshine to begin with, some of those with passing showers. The move quite quickly, it can be glorious sunshine one minute, then a downpour, and then then some loose right back with you. High pressure to the south west, the air around thatis to the south west, the air around that is cool, and there are weather systems journeying around that area of High Pressure towards us through this week. Very much an atlantic influence. Nothing particularly warm. Still some warmth in the sunshine even at this time of year, and that is felt when the sun is out today. If you catch a shower it could be heavy and thundering across parts of scotland, northern and Eastern England in particular. The showers are hit and miss, and as ever and there will be places that com pletely ever and there will be places that completely miss them and stay dry. Northern ireland had a lull, but some thicker cloud now moving in will produce a greater chance of showers this afternoon into this evening. Not many showers at all in southern england and southern wales. The odd one cant be ruled out. 21 at best. Most of us falling short of that, and it will turn chilly tonight. Showers move out of Northern Ireland for a time into parts of scotland, Northern England and wales. Away from that, drier weather to be had. Rural sports mid to low single figures as we start the day tomorrow. Sunshine to begin the day tomorrow. Sunshine to begin the day. Cloud and outbreaks of rain in Northern Ireland, moving on towards scotland and parts of Northern England. Some patchy rain to parts of wales and South West England especially in the hills. The midlands, east anglia and south east looking dry. And a little bit warmer. Temperatures into the low 20s for some. Temperatures edge up a little bit even though there is cloud and further weather fronts coming in on tuesday. A lot of cloud around, and some of us will have rain. As temperatures recover slightly, notice that they do come down again. Thats how the week is shaping up. Temperatures at or below the average for the time of year. Some rain at times, but not all the time, and the Weather Forecast for where you are is on our website. This is bbc news. Im lukwesa burak. The headlines at three. Labours brexit spokesman, keir starmer, says this week may be the last chance to stop borisjohnson taking the uk out of the eu without a deal tx sot . The route would be by legislation. We have to make it unlawful for the route would be by legislation. We have to make it unlawfulfor him to ta ke we have to make it unlawfulfor him to take us out without a deal. The cabinet minister reponsible for no deal preparations, michael gove, refuses to be drawn on whether the government would abide by any legislation designed to stop a no deal brexit. Lets see what the legislation says. I will wait to see what legislation the opposition may try to bring