New National Restrictions after reports that options are being considered to contain a spike in coronavirus cases. The conservative party says an mp who was arrested on suspicion of rape will not be suspended while Police Investigate the allegations. The australian state of victoria declares a state of disaster and imposes new lockdown measures after a surge in coronavirus infections. Splashdown. As you can see on your screen, splashdown. As you can see on your screen, we splashdown. As you can see on your screen, we have visual confirmation for splashdown. And the space x dragon capsule, has splashed down off the coast of florida, after returning from the International Space station. Both astronauts are safely out and on the recovery boat. Now on bbc news, extraordinary moments in history as told by people who were there. This month includes a look as told by people who were there. At the fall of romanian dictator nicolae ceausescu. Hello, and welcome to witness history with me, razia iqbal here at the Royal Academy in london. Today we will hear from five people who have lived through incredible moments in history. Coming up the woman who defied the salvadoran government over the murder of six priests. The town that was poisoned by asbestos. And the agricultural scientist who helped save a billion lives. But first, of all of the revolutions that swept across Eastern Europe just over 30 years ago, the overthrow of nicolae ceausescu and his wife elena in romania was the bloodiest. The uprising began in the western city of timisoara, where a local pastor, laszlo tokes, took a stand against the authorities. The unrest started in timisoara, in transylvania, following the arrest of pastor laszlo tokes. Laszlo tokes, who was an outspoken critic of the government, refused to leave when the secret police came to arrest him. Several hundred churchgoers gathered to stop them. I did not want to become a revolutionary. But step by step, my attitude was radicalised because we had to speak out. He was a stalinist type dictator. The romanian system became more and more cruel. We were under total control by the securitate, the romanian secret service. The church became a centre of peaceful opposition. I did not make politics. I only tried to express that we must obey god, rather than men. It wasnt just that he was a gifted preacher, he was the first man they had ever known who was prepared to stand up and challenge the ceausescu dictatorship and its deadly security network. People began to gather around my church. Looking out through my windows, on the large crowd, sincerely to say i was frightened of the probable consequences of their brave demonstration. I remember people began to sing patriotic songs, to shout against the regime. Liberty, liberty down with ceausescu the army were very cruel, very violent. About 50 people were killed in a day. That was the Bloodiest Day in timisoara. Men sing. In very short time, the demonstrations enlargened into the neighbouring cities. Nicolae ceausescu is fighting for his political life in the only way he knows how the violent suppression of any kind of protest. In the morning of the 17th of december, we were taken by the securitate in a very brutal way. It was clear for us that we are to be executed or imprisoned. My wife was pregnant with our second child, which later on was born. I think it was our angel in that time, and protected us when we were prepared for the worst. Romanians went on an anti ceausescu rampage as the armyjoined the revolution. Thanks to god, we had a little radio apparatus, and we were informed that the ceausescu couple is on the run. Translation romanian brothers, we come here to the Romanian Broadcasting Company to tell you that the dictator has fallen to let you know that the country is free with an angry rooftop mob closing in on them, the ceausescus panicked and made their escape by helicopter. It was a wonder, and we considered it a gift of god on christmas for the people. That was the most joyful day in our full life. Singing. Laszlo tokes on the romanian revolution of 1989. Next, a story of identity, loyalty and betrayal. In the 19505 and 60s, the french colony of algeria in north africa was battling for independence but some algerian muslims chose to fight on the side of france. They were called the harkis. When france lost the war in 1962, it abandoned its former colony and in post independence algeria, thousands of harkis faced brutal prosecution for siding with the former colonial ruler. Serge carel was one and he has been telling witness history about his ordeal. Translation the harkis were local forces, on the side of the french army in algerias independence war. We gave everything for france, but what we didnt know was that france would abandon us. News reel as tension rises in french north africa, france arms her algerian supporters for defence against rebel raids. The prefect of oran province, monsieur lambert, personally hands out weapons to muslims recruits at nadroma, where hundreds are being enrolled daily. Translation i was about 17 and a half, 18 years old at the time. You had to choose between france and the fln rebels. My father had been in the french army and had fought in world war i. My brothers were also in the french army. So i chose france. I was proud of what we did, proud of serving france. We were always sent out in front of the french troops. If there was an attack, the harkis would be the first to die. We had to get rid of the fln fighters who were terrorising the population. We always knew at that one day algeria would gain its independence. What general de gaulle should have done was take all the harkis and their families to safety in france. But when independence was declared in 1962, the french disarmed the harkis and left us defenceless. The fln took advantage of this and began to round us all up. They took me to a barracks, where there were about 50 other harkis prisoners. There was blood everywhere. They stripped me naked and started torturing me with electric shocks. Each time a new group of soldiers came on shift, they began again. The same thing every day. The fln even made us dig our own graves. Some people were thrown in alive, some were thrown into the river and the jackals did the rest. I was arrested onjuly 8th 1962 and i escaped on september 10th 1962. It took me a long time to feel welcome here in france. I decided to change my name and convert to catholicism. I wanted to make a fresh start. I could say that i was born under a lucky star and that i am lucky. But not all the harkis were so lucky, and that is the fault of france. Serge carel, an algerian muslim, who fought on the side of the colonial power france in the war for algerian independence. Now to australia, and a tale of environmental devastation. The town of wittenoom, in Western Australia, emerged in the 19405 and 50s around a profitable blue Asbestos Mine. Asbestos, a natural fire retardant, was in high demand. But in wittenoom, people were unaware that raw asbestos could be lethal. Thousands died, and the town is now almost completely abandoned. Bronwen duke grew up there. People were warned, but they didnt take it seriously until people started to die. I lost both parents, both grandparents, my brother, three uncles, about four cousins that i can think of and thats just the immediate family in my world. I was born in 1958 in the far north of Western Australia in the pilbara, in a little town called wittenoom. The blue Asbestos Mine was the genesis of the town. Asbestos is a naturalfibre that is encased in rocks. They would extract the asbestos out of the mine, and the mill would actually then bag it and ready for shipment, and it was sent to all places around the world for the various things that they use asbestos for. News reel fireresisting, sound insulating product known as asbestos is a piece of rock. The practical uses of asbestos are very numerous. At least 18,000 articles are made of it, ranging from packing for steam engines and linings for friction surfaces, to bulkheads for aeroplanes. There were a lot of immigrants that came into australia after the second world war. And a lot of them were just looking forjobs, and there were jobs to be had in wittenoom. My dad was one of them. He was the jack of all trades. He used to drive the bus to take the guys from town to the mine every day. My mum and her sisters all met their husbands up there. It had all of the elements of a normal country town. They used to have race days, and there would be balls, and all sorts of social activities that everyone was involved in. But my parents were not aware of the dangers at all. I dont think a lot of the people in town were aware of the dangers. Asbestos fibres get into the lungs and those fibres can cause asbestosis or mesothelioma. It encases the lung in cancer and prevents it from breathing. In wittenoom, asbestos wasnt confined to the mine. Asbestos was used in gardens, it was used on driveways, it was used up on the roads. It was literally everywhere. If you went out to play, as all small children do, youre playing in asbestos. One of the flying doctors flew into town and said, as soon he got there, he said we have to close this, this has to stop. Well, the mine was very profitable, so it was decided that that wasnt the case. It was 1966 before they actually closed the mine. But people had started to die. We left when my dad got sick. We now know in actual fact that he had asbestosis at that time. Its almost like having an asthma attack where you cant breathe and youre fighting to catch your breath. My mum and my brother died from mesothelioma. Theres just hundreds of people from wittenoom, that i know of, that have gone with mesothelioma or asbestosis. None of my family thats in that photo are alive. Theyre all gone. Every one of them. There is no compensation for taking away your parents. 0ryourfamily. Theres no justice in that at all. Nothing. Money does not bring them back. Money doesnt compensate for their death, or what you miss. Bronwen duke on the devastating legacy of asbestos in one Western Australian town. Remember, you can watch witness history every month on the bbc news channel, or you can catch up on all ourfilms, along with more than 1,000 radio programmes in our online archive. Just Search Online for bbc witness history. Now to central america, and the civil war in el salvador. Throughout the 1980s, left wing rebels were fighting the us backed government. In 1989, government soldiers dragged six jesuit priests from their beds and murdered them. It changed the course of the war. The salvadoran government tried to blame the killings on the rebels. But one brave woman stood up to the authorities, providing important testimony that contradicted the official version. Lucia cerna told her story to witness history. The priests funeral took place at the university where they were murdered. Thats how they were