Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20240714

Munchetty about racism and President Trump. 22 years on and prince harry walks in his mothers footsteps as he visits a minefield in angola. And coming up, saudi arabia opens its doors to International Tourists for the first time as part of a push to cut its economic dependence on oil. Good evening and welcome to bbc news. The former cabinet minister amber rudd has accused number ten of using aggressive language that incites violence. It comes after a turbulent week in which mps return to the house of commons and took pa rt to the house of commons and took part in furious exchanges in the commons. Today Boris Johnson part in furious exchanges in the commons. Today borisjohnson again defended his use of language and insisted that delivering brexit on the 31st of october would bring much of the heat out of the debate. Meanwhile, scott ands first minister Nicola Sturgeon has indicated she would be open to backing Jeremy Corbyn as an interim Prime Minister to stop and no deal brexit. Here is our Political Correspondent alex forsyth. It might seem calm today but it has been a fractious week in westminster, with heated scenes in the house of commons and claims that words like surrender, when used about brexit, are divisive, even dangerous. Now amber rudd, a former home secretary who only quit the government a few weeks ago, has waded in, telling the Evening Standard newspaper the sort of language we have seen more and more coming out from number ten does incite violence. An extraordinary accusation aimed at the Prime Minister. Today, during a hospital visit, he said any threat against mps was appalling but insisted he was not stoking division. What we need to do now is get brexit done by october the slst and i genuinely think that once you do that, then so much of the heat and the anxiety will come out of the debate. I think a lot of people are very tense. Businesses are still uncertain. And get it done and i think we will all be able to move on. And his Senior Advisor said getting it done is a walk in the park during a book launch last night. The referendum was difficult, this is a walk in the park. Dominic cummings himself is a divisive figure. The man behind the Vote Leave Campaign at the heart of downing street, this morning seeming to question his own comments. Who said it would be a walk in the park at the book launch . There is real angerfrom some here at the tone coming from downing street but the Prime Minister shows little sign of changing his approach. He still insists he will meet the departure deadline of october the 31st, despite the fact parliament passed a law saying he would have to delay if he doesnt get a brexit deal. With such little trust here, opposition parties are talking tactics. The snp leader today suggested ousting the Prime Minister and didnt rule out the labour leader as a temporary replacement. I dont particularly want to pushJeremy Corbyn here. The point i am making is that if the opposition is to unite behind a clear plan that takes away the threat of a no deal and moves to a general election, i think everybody accepts that is where we should be heading, then we will have to compromise. But plenty here wont put the labour leader in charge, even if only for a short time to slow the brexit process. We need to have something that works. Jeremy corbyn doesnt have the numbers. The basic parliamentary arithmetic is not there. The basic parliamentary arithmetic is not there. He knows that. The snp knows that. You and i know that. So, a direct move against number ten isnt expected imminently, but with feelings here running high, dont expect an outbreak of calm either. Alex forsyth, bbc news, westminster. Our Political Correspondent helen catt is at westminster. Signs tonight of some possible movement in terms of a deal . Yes, news from brussels. We are hearing that the uk government has said it will put forward full proposals for its solution for a deal after the end of the conservative party conference. That is happening in manchester next week and it ends on wednesday and that is when these proposals will be put forward. Nobody knows what they are at the moment. So far Michel Barnier has said the things that have been suggested previously by the uk government were not workable. Stephen barclay, the brexit secretary, today has been in brussels and he says it is approaching the moment of truth for negotiations when we will see if there is political will on both sides. He is insistent that any deal will need to remove the so backstop, the mechanism for trying to avoid border checks on the island of ireland. We will have to see what these proposals spell out. We have also been getting an indication from the snp concerning a possible candidate for interim Prime Minister. Yes, you heard Nicola Sturgeon saying she could potentially back the idea ofJeremy Corbyn as a caretaker Prime Minister. She says it is for literally a matter of days, the idea you put in some sort of caretaker leader who would seek an extension to the brexit process, an extension to the brexit process, an extension to article 50, and then they would move to a general election. However, the problem opposition parties have at the moment is they cannot agree who that person should be. Nicola sturgeon says she is no fan of the labour leader and she is not pushing him or anybody else specifically. Jo swinson said she would not support Jeremy Corbyn as a leader of that sort of government. She has suggested other options to the labour party. Labour insisting the proper constitutional position is it should be the leader of the opposition who carries that role. It isa opposition who carries that role. It is a case of the opposition parties trying to see if they can find somebody that they can all agree on who would fulfil that role. We can see pictures of the final rally of the brexit Party National tour. That is the chairman and also an mep. Tell us more about that. The brexit party only formed earlier this year and did very well at the european elections and got 29 of the uks 73 meps elected. They have been going ona meps elected. They have been going on a National Tour and have been to ten different rallies over the past few weeks. That is because the brexit party works slightly differently, it does not have members, it has supporters. The party says they have had about a thousand people at each of these. Last night they were in maidstone in kent. Tonight is the final one. A lot has focused on the idea of the brexit party want to see a no deal brexit, they call it a clean break brexit. They have been offering the conservatives a sort of nonaggression pact in a coming election, where they would agree not to put up candidates in conservative seats or conservative target seats if the conservatives agree to the idea of a no deal brexit. The conservative party have not said thatis conservative party have not said that is something they would agree to. Iam that is something they would agree to. I am told we will hear tonight from nigel farage more of the policies. A criticism of the brexit party is we have not heard what they would do in terms of domestic policy. I am told we will hear some details tonight about what they will be putting before the electorate in any general election. Thank you very much for that. And well find out how this story and many others are covered in tomorrows front pages at 10 40 and 11 30 this evening in the papers. Our guests joining me tonight are guardian columnist dawn foster, and john stevens, the deputy Political Editor of the daily mail. Cleveland police has become the first force in england to be found inadequate in all areas of its service. The Police Watchdog said it was not investigating crime effectively and it didnt respond to Vulnerable People fast enough. The force has recently appointed a new chief constable who says the report is a wake up call, but argues it must be given time to improve. Michael buchanan is in middlesbrough. Cleveland police have been mired in any number of scandals in recent years. Its new chief constable is the fifth since 2012. Several officers have been convicted of gross misconduct and now this effectively labelled the Worst Police Force in england and wales with a Leadership Team described as clueless by rank and file Police Officers. Saturday night in hartlepool. You are getting arrested to prevent a breach of the peace. With Cleveland Police as they answer another 999 call. Last year, we highlighted the pressure front line officers like Kevin Rutherford face. It isa it is a good job. Weve been scrapped. They are now both going to the police station, where they will spend the night until she has sobered up and he will get interviewed about obstructing police. Lack of money and officers has forced the closure of hartlepools custody suite, a consequence of austerity, says the force. But the chief constable of cleveland just months into hisjob acknowledged today that the force has to take some responsibility as well. Front line staff work extremely hard in Cleveland Police. I see it and i patrol as much as any and i see how hard they work to protect our members of the public. But our Staff Members have not been well served by Senior Leadership in this force, providing a direction of what is required and being clear about what is required, and a performance regime being set up to hold people to account. Inspectors rated cleveland as inadequate across the board. The first force in england and wales to get such a poor ranking. It doesnt treat the public or its workforce well. It doesnt treat the public or its workforce well. It doesnt operate efficiently or sustainably either. Perhaps most crucially, the force is not reducing crime or keeping people safe. 67 year old terry was beaten up in middlesbrough city centre in an unprovoked attack last november. There were dozens of witnesses. A man was arrested but his son, a bar owner, says the family have not been contacted by Cleveland Police since. They are a joke. Quite simply they are a joke. Cleveland police is in crisis. Last year, we revealed local people in hartlepool have taken to patrolling their own streets, furious with the lack of police protection. Today one of the men we met that night told me little has improved over the past 12 months. People are reporting crimes but nobody comes out. I mean, it is notjust petty crimes. It is serious crimes. And the police dont come out. Not because they dont want to, but because they dont have the numbers. Cleveland police will now receive support from outside agencies, as well as being closely monitored, but what is clear is they have much to do to rebuild trust among their exasperated communities. Michael buchanan, bbc news, middlesbrough. Cleveland police is based in the north east of england and covers the four local policing areas of hartlepool, middlesbrough, redcar, and cleveland and stockton on tees. Its made up of 1,198 Police Officers, which is a drop in the forces employee numbers of 36 since 2010. The force serves a population of 566,200 and the area has seen an increase in crime of 17. 6 in the last year. Lets now speak to richard murray, the temporary secretary for the Cleveland Police federation. Thank you for speaking to us at bbc news. First, are you surprised by the findings and this ruling that it has failed in all areas . Good evening. I would like to say that oui evening. I would like to say that our officers and our members put on their uniform every single day and continue to do so, providing the best service they can every single day. Every single day they put that uniform on. That said, the lack of Senior Management and direction over the past years has led to where we are today. We have heard about pleas of giving us time to fix things. Is it fixable . There has been talk of improvements that have already been put into place. What are those improvements and will they work . Like i say, i know there is a new chief constable, a new Senior Management team, which has brought a massive change. As a federation our members are our utmost priority. With our members a day to day working in their uniform, providing a service to the community, we want the best for them. We have decided alongside the force to assist them where ever possible to make the changes are necessary to provide the best service possible, not only for the officers welfare and support, but to provide the best service for the community and pushing forward in the community and pushing forward in the foreseeable years. What have your members been telling you about what it is like to serve in the force . We what it is like to serve in the force . We know as i have said previously the lack of stability and the lack of direction from Senior Management teams of previous years. Iam glad management teams of previous years. I am glad we have got a new fresh chief constable that has come in and he has many years of service which gives us progression for the future. Obviously trust has been eroded amongst Police Officers, but perhaps more crucially within the public sphere as well. How do you think and what measures need to be implemented to rebuild that trust . As i say as a federation we all need to Work Together with the communities, with partnerships, to get together to rebuild that. I know that has already started. There was a meeting today and the community all got together and the local Partnership Together and the local partnership to start moving forward to push clevela nd to start moving forward to push cleveland into better light. We have heard about a lack of direction that has been part of these failings. What does it mean on a day to day basis . Well, like austerity, lack of cuts. The Police Federation in england and wales have said that cuts do have consequences. We have said that not only in cleveland, we are one of the forces with one of the biggest drop in numbers. It has got to affect and it will affect the way policing is delivered. That said, it was the lack and structure in the Senior Organisation previously which has led us into the situation we are, which you have highlighted on your programme. Why do you think anybody would want to work for the Cleveland Police force now . How are you going to recruit . |j can now . How are you going to recruit . can speak on behalf of the Cleveland Police federation and our members. Our members put on their uniform every day. I am a serving Police Officer and i want to provide the best for our communities. Moving forward , best for our communities. Moving forward, this is like anything, we have got to a stage where we are now and we are going to Work Together with our members, speak to our members, with the senior commanders and the senior Leadership Teams that are brand new and to move forward. That is the best we can do. Richard murray, thank you very much for your time. The headlines on bbc news. The former cabinet minister amber rudd has accused number ten of using words that could incite violence. Cleveland police has become the first force in england and wales to be rated inadequate across all areas of performance. Pressure is growing on the bbc to overturn its ruling on comments made by breakfasts Naga Munchetty about racism and President Trump. Sir lenny henry is among more than a0 broadcasters and journalists whove signed an open letter to the bbc urging it to reverse its ruling concerning the Breakfast Television presenter Naga Munchetty and her comments about President Trump. She was found to have been in breach of editorial guidelines for speaking out on air about remarks hed made, which were widely condemned as racist. David sillito reports. Bbc breakfast, and the topic was a tweet by donald trump, calling on a group of american politicians, all women of colour, to go back from where they came. Dan walker then pressed his co presenter, Naga Munchetty, for her opinions on the story. Every time i have been told as a woman of colour to go back to where i came from, that was embedded in racism. Now, im not accusing anyone of anything here, but you know what certain phrases mean. That was deemed fine, but the next exchange caused an issue. I know that you are sitting here not giving an opinion but how do you feel, then, as somebody who has been told that before, when you hear that . Furious. When you hear it from him . Absolutely furious, and i can imagine that lots of people in this country will be feeling absolutely furious that a man in that position feels it is ok to skirt the lines with using language like that. Does that then. . Do you feel that his use of that. . That is the point i was trying to make it then legitimises other people to use it. Yes. As our guest was saying, it feels like a thought out strategy to strengthen his position. It is not enough to do it just to get attention. That exchange prompted a complaint which has been upheld. The bbcs executive complaints unit, which is independent of bbc news, says she was allowed to express her feelings and say the words were racist, but not comment about Donald Trumps motives. Describing a remark as racist is not the issue at stake here. The issue at stake here is whether it was right to go on to ascribe motive, in this case to President Trump, but it could have been to anybody else. It suggests that we are impartial on racism. The bbc isnt impartial on crime. If a crime happens, we call people a criminal. We have to be impartial on these issues. The reasons why these remarks were made, and there was speculation in the programme which she made, amongst others, about the nature and the reasons why those remarks were made and we cant do that, whether it is President Trump or whether it is anybody else that we are assessing in that way. Amongst those disagreeing, a number of bbc journalists. Afua hirschs letter criticising the decision has been backed by more than a0 black and asian writers, actors and broadcasters. Its ludicrous to say it is fine for a presenter to express her own experience of racism, but she shouldnt cast judgment on the person being racist. Thats suggesting that as people of colour who have experienced racism, we can talk about those experiences but remain impartial about whether we think they are good or not. And this evening a new statement from bbc managers describing Naga Munchetty as a star who they admire for speaking honestly about her own experiences. David sillito, bbc news. A mother has admitted the murder of her two teenage sons and hatching a plot to kill four more of her own children. Sarah barrass killed teenagers tristan and blake barrass at a house in shiregreen in may. Family member Brandon Machin also pleaded guilty to their murder and the attempted murder of four other children. Phil bodmer was in court. Police were called to a semi detached property in the shah green area of sheffield on the morning of may 2a this year. Later that day a senior officer revealed some disturbing information about what had happened. A number of children we re had happened. A number of children were taken to hospital. Sadly two children have since died and four children have since died and four children remain in hospital. At the time please describe it as a major incident, but have never gone into any details about how 13 year old Tristan Barrett and his brother blake, 1a, died. Today the boys mother, 35 year old Sarah Barrett and Family Member brandon mitchell, who is 39, appeared at Sheffield Crown court. They were flanked by security staff as they entered court, and each pleaded guilty to two counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder and one count of conspiracy to murder all six children. Barras sobbed as she entered her pleas, may chain remained impassive throughout the 20 minute hearing. Addressing the defendantsjudge minute hearing. Addressing the defendants judge Jeremy Richardson qc said, no words of mine can ever fully reflect the enormity of what you have both done. The crimes you have committed quite frankly speak for themselves. The murder of two children, the attempted murder of four children and the overarching conspiracy to murder those children. I have little doubt each of you in due course will be sentenced to life in prison. Tristan barras appeared on the bbc show our school in 2017 speaking about his bright hairstyle. It makes me who i want to be. With natural hair you just look like every other person. Hundreds of mourners turned out for tristan and blakes mourners turned out for tristan and bla kes funeral last month. Mourners turned out for tristan and blakes funeral last month. A double white coffin was accompanied by an honour guard of 300 motorcyclist and two lamborghinis, the Brothers Best loved bikes and cars. Barras and mei chen will be remanded in custody and are due to be sentenced on the 12th. Thousands of thomas cook staff are taking legal action after losing theirjobs when the travel giant went in to liquidation this week. They claim the firm acted unlawfully in the way they were dismissed and theyre seeking compensation. Meanwhile more than 60,000 thomas cook customers have been flown back to the uk. Judith moritz reports. They flew all over the globe for thomas cook, now their world has come crashing down. Jobs gone, livelihoods destroyed. When the airline folded, jo was one of the cabin crew left stranded abroad. When she got home, things went from bad to worse. Im now homeless, my landlord is now demanding i leave the property, so i am having to wait for the local council to see if they can put me in sheltered accommodation. So you cant pay the rent, the landlord has not been sympathetic . No, hes not being sympathetic or compassionate or anything, he just wants me out. Is it here that we sign for the redundancy courses . There is some union help available and thousands of staff are now starting legal action to claim the lost wages. These cabin crew posed for a photo on what would be their last flight. Amongst them, gemma, who was made redundant with Monarch Airlines two years ago and is in the same situation again. Its like reliving the whole nightmare again. Its just brought back all them feelings of losing myjob. It was a sunday night, middle of the night, finding out, waking up my family to tell them that the company that i loved, as well, had gone. So itsjust a really difficult time to relive the whole process again. No longer in use by thomas cook, during the summer these check in desks were absolutely buzzing and that is what many of the cabin crew i have spoken to today have said they dont understand. How can it be, they want to know, that when they were working on full plane, after full plane their company has gone bust . Many are owed seven weeks pay. Hundreds turned up to Union Meetings at Manchester Airport today, angry and bewildered. I put my uniform on today and as i got to the airport i started to cry because i thought, im coming here in a uniform and ive got nowhere to go. We didnt get a letter through the post. We had a Conference Call on monday. It wasjust dial this numberand listen in. Ill take a few questions. Ok, thats enough now, no more questions. Over and out, phone down. So thats how we found out. They say they put their hearts and souls into thomas cook and with Little Information or remorse this is how the company has repaid them. It is one of the most famous images of Princess Diana walking through a minefield in angola just months before she died. Prince harry has 110w before she died. Prince harry has now walked in his mothers footsteps and our correspondence has been following the princes africa. Minefields. A massive problem in angola, and an issue with a particular resonance for harry, in memory of his mothers efforts to make the world do something to deal with them. Harry was taken into one of the minefields being cleared by britains halo trust. He saw the painstaking work of the mine clearance teams, combing the ground metre by metre. He detonated a mine which had been found a few days ago. And then on to huambo, angolas second city. It was here 22 years ago that diana, princess of wales, was filmed walking along a safe corridor through a minefield. It brought the whole issue to the worlds attention and led eventually to an international ban. Today the spot which had once been a minefield is an anonymous street, but a place for a proud son to visit and to reflect on what his mother achieved. To walk in her footsteps is clearly quite emotionalfor me, but i think as much as she did then, there is still so much to do, but without question if she hadnt have campaigned the way that she did 22 years ago, this could arguably still be a minefield, so im incredibly proud of what shes been able to do. Fully 17 years after the end of angolas civil war, people are still suffering life changing injuries. Harry visited and officially named the Princess Diana orthopaedic centre, where the victims of landmines are treated and fitted with prosthetic limbs. 22 years after diana died, and there are still more than 1,000 minefields here in angola. Harrys message, expressed today lets finish thejob. Nicholas witchell, bbc news, huambo. We are heading into a very turbulent weekend of weather, heavy rain and wind in places. The rest of this evening and overnight we see further showers pushing from the west to the east. Some clear spells in between and where the winds are the lightest in the north and north west of scotla nd in the north and north west of scotland it could get chilly for some. Generally temperatures holding up some. Generally temperatures holding up between 8 12. Tomorrow quite a few showers around at first, but they should tend to ease as the day wears on. By the afternoon a fair amount of dry weather and sunshine. Afterwards, temperatures ranging from 13 19d. Behind that this wet weather will be coming across england and wales on saturday night and the rain will be quite persistent. Some very strong and gusty winds. It stays wet and windy for many of us on sunday. The best chance of seeing dry weather is across the north of the uk. Hello this is bbc news. The headlines. The former cabinet minister amber rudd has accused number ten of using words that could incite violence. Nicola sturgeon says the snp could back a caretaker government led byJeremy Corbyn to prevent a no deal brexit. Cleveland police has become the first force in england and wales to be rated inadequate across all areas of performance. A mother has admitted murdering her two teenage sons in sheffield, and plotting to murderfour more of her own children. And, 22 years on, prince harry walks in his mothers footsteps, as he visits a minefield in angola. And on newswatch, a public backlash after the bbc uphold a complaint against breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty about racism comments. Who was wrong . Join us at 7 45pm on bbc news. Cleveland police today received the most damning report ever handed down to any british force. Its been described as a broken force thats become a national disgrace. Its the first time a police force has been rated inadequate across all areas. Stuart whincup has this report. A failing faucet is putting the public at risk with managers that cant be trusted to tell the truth. What we are seeing is a force, a service. Cleveland police doesnt understand the demand that is coming into the organisation. They are not managing that properly and does not understand the vulnerability which creates risk to the public. Staff were not properly trained, Risk Assessment when completed, and the report goes on. Preventing crime is not a priority, victims of Domestic Violence and Vulnerable Children are not only not being protected, they are being put at risk of further harm by poor police investigations. Children reported missing overnight not being searched for and to the following morning, senior managers cannot be trusted to tell the truth or act with honesty and integrity. The force was told it needed to do more to tackle corruption in its own workforce. Imran is one of those victims who says he has been let down by Cleveland Police. They promised they were going to help me, it has not happened at all. He said he recognised some of the gang who robbed his shop. He said he even collected the cctv footage i handed over but has heard nothing. collected the cctv footage i handed over but has heard nothing. I am still waiting for help, somebody to help me. I give him all the evidence but still no help. Further up parliament road, residents film people who they believe were injecting drugs. Some here claim the police have lost control. It is a nightmare, crime out here is shocking. You cant win. Youre just getting terrorised. Drugs, drink, theres nothing you cant name it is not happening. The government says it welcomes clevelands swift action to address its failings it still wants an urgent review. The force is broken and now we have had it officially confirmed by an inspector confirming that it confirmed by an inspector confirming thatitis confirmed by an inspector confirming that it is not only broken but is the worst force in the history of england and wales. It has got to such an extent, the home office need to step in and investigate and pull apart this force. Clevelands current chief consul says he is here for the long term and wants to hear from victims of crime who have been failed by his force. Tell us, tell me. I patrol often, if you see me, stop me and talk to me. I want to hear peoples concerns. They must keep calling us. With a set period of time, i am determined that his force will be one of the best in the country. For all of the criticism outside, it was Cleveland Polices own staff who had the final say describing their senior managers as directionless, rudderless, and clueless. That was Stuart Whincup reporting. Police in nigeria have freed around 500 people, many of them young children, from a building where they have been allegedly chained, tortured and sexually abused. The victims told police they had been taken to the block in the northern kaduna state by their relatives for religious education. Only to be locked up. To protect their privacy, we have decided to conceal the identities of the victims in this report from mayenijones in lagos. Just a warning you may find some images distressing. Captives in chains, boys, teenagers, and grown men held in a so called Islamic School and unable to leave. Look, they put chains on me, with all the level of my exposure. One look at my own age, i have responsibilities on my head. But they denied me access to a lot of things. Police received a tip off from relatives of children held here that suggested this place was not what it seemed. I say, ok, take this loaf of bread and take it to them. So when we go back home now, we had a family meeting, so we said, ok, the only thing that we shall report this issue to the police station. That is exactly what we did. The police said this was no educational institution. We discovered that we have small children, and five graduates. Most of them are ten. Ten it is modern day slavery. Millions of students are in Islamic Schools across nigeria. The parents in this deprived region often have to leave their children in religious boarding schools. These institutions have been dogged with allegations of abuse. Earlier this year, the government said it planned to ban them. But wouldnt say when. As the victims are treated and reunited with their families, this latest incident may be a reminder of the need for reform. Mayenijones, bbc news in lagos. The brother of pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch has been jailed for life, three years after her murder. Once nicknamed the Kim Kardashian of pakistan, Qandeel Baloch became popular after posting videos of herself dancing and singing, but she also received online abuse and death threats. Mohammad waseem admitted strangling his sister, saying at the time it was because she had brought shame on the family through her social media activities. President trump has lashed out at his opponents in the democratic party, who say they will move quickly with an impeachment inquiry which could see him removed from office. A whistle blower in the Us Intelligence service has accused mr trump of putting pressure on the Ukrainian Government to investigate the former Vice President , joe biden, his likely challenger in next years president ial election. Our north america editorjon sopel gave us this update. The president is clearly furious at the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee calling him a sick man and saying that he should resign and that he should be investigated because he of course is leading the investigation into donald trump. Of the whistle blower, donald trump. Of the whistle blower, donald trump. Of the whistle blower, donald trump said this is second hand information and it has been proved to be inaccurate. It is anything but that, anything that the whistle blower has said so far has turned out to be true. He drew attention to the call, we know now that call to the ukrainian president happened. We know that the President Trump asked the ukrainian president to investigate his potential rival in 2020s election, joe biden. And we have learned today from the white house, confirmation that the e mail, the transcript of the conversation was moved to a secret server within the white house that nobody knew anything about. Republican lawmakers can say we dont really care, but i cant say there is nothing to see here. That was jon sopel there. Climate change activist Greta Thunberg has hit back at critics including President Trump, saying their mockery of children shows her message has become too loud to handle. The 16 year old campaigner joined tens of thousands in montreal for a rally today, which was also attended by the canadian Prime Ministerjustin trudeau. The protest comes as un aviation leaders have been gathering to debate plane emission targets. Greta thunberg spoke ahead of the march and was asked why she thinks grown men in powerful positions are afraid of her after President Trump recently mocked her on twitter. I do not understand why grown ups would choose to mock children, teenagers forjust communicating and acting on the science when they can do something good instead. But i guess they must. Feel like their world view or interests or whatever it is, is threatened by us, and that is something we should take as a compliment, that we are having so much impact that people want to silence us. We are being too loud for people to handle, so they try to silence us. So we should also take that as a compliment. Laughter. Saudi arabia is opening its doors to tourists from around the world for the first time. The kingdom is launching visas for 49 countries and relaxing strict dress codes for female visitors. Until now, visas have largely been restricted to pilgrims, business people, and expatriate workers. Saudi arabia is also hoping to secure Foreign Investment in the Tourism Industry. It wants tourism to rise from 3 to 10 of Gross Domestic Product by 2030. The saudi politicial analyst dr Najah Al Otaibi joins us now. Thank you for coming to speak to us. Why now . This is significant because saudi arabia is witnessing a transformation in all aspects. There is an ambitious plan initiated by the crown prince mohammad been some in to diversify the economy, develop new industries, and opened a society to the outside world. And part of thatis to the outside world. And part of that is to open the tourism sector, the entertainment and generate more money for the country. Do you think what saudi arabia has to offer will outweigh the pretty strict and harsh reputation that it has garnered over the years . Absolutely, but many people dont realise that saudi arabia is not just people dont realise that saudi arabia is notjust a desert or oil. This is a very small part of it. If you visit the country, you will see that there are a lot of nice, beautiful sandy beaches and beautiful sandy beaches and beautiful mountains. Recently, saudi arabia hosted lots of sporting events. Concerts where Even International performers such as mariah carey or tiesto came to perform in the country. How badly do saudi arabia need this investment because it is well known, or it has the reputation of being a wealthy nation . As i mentioned, not 20 people also realise that this rich country has problems such as unemployment. So part of opening the Tourism Industry is to help the country secure or help the young people to find jobs. So Unemployment Rate stands at 12 , this is significant. The crown princes trying to solve this problem very quickly by opening and bringing more tourists to the country. You think it will be too quickly . Is this too much of a move too quickly . I mean, only last year it lifted the ban on women driving. Will saudi arabia, Saudi Arabian society cope . Absolutely. Because i wasjust speaking to one of my friends just now, she said that she had spotted a lot of women who now walk publicly without the veil. I think Saudi Society is changing and the changes that have been enacted are accepted by the majority of the saudis. Of course, there will be some opposition. But all in all, people are in favour of that reform. We we re are in favour of that reform. We were looking at some beautiful pictures earlier of saudi arabia. Before you tell us a bit more about this, this lovely beach shot, is saudi arabia, in terms of infrastructure, ready for an influx of tourists . Well, the government of saudi arabia relies that this is a new step they realise this is a new step they realise this is a new step, and this is the start. And a lot of businessmen around the world a re interested a lot of businessmen around the world are interested in investing in this country. Plus the business men of saudi arabia. It is capable to develop this sector. So where should people go who wanted to get a flavour of saudi arabia . Where should they go to get advice about dress code . About social behaviour, conduct . Because obviously this is one of the main worries. What other cautions . This is an islamic country. And people are traditional. But, you know, a lot of restrictions have been relaxed in the last few yea rs. Have been relaxed in the last few years. And you have mentioned lifting the ban on women driving or the dress code. But if there are other things that people can explore in this country. The environment, the beautiful mountains, the beaches. There is so much to see. 0k, beaches. There is so much to see. Ok, doctor, thank you very much. England wicketkeeper sarah taylor has retired from International Cricket because of her ongoing issues with anxiety. She previously took a break from the game in 2016, returning to win the world cup with england in 2017. Shes been named the best womens t20 player in the world three times, and is second on the england womens list of run scorers. Here she is talking to the bbc when she took a break from cricket the first time. It happened mainly when i was just about to bat, that kind of expectation of wanting to score runs. That was the hardest. The nerves would hit me, but it would be a nerves plus something else. I was 01 a nerves plus something else. I was or is confused as to what it was. Now i know. It is a genuine kind of panic, the heart races, you kinda feel faint. And those are just a Little Things i go through. There are times when i have had