Also in the programme preparing to protest for the planet students around the world get ready for friday climate strikes. Shouting. And why gay rights activists in south korea say lack of laws to protect them is forcing many young people to take their own lives. Good morning. Its iam in london, 8 in the morning here in singapore and 9am tokyo where if you didnt already know the Rugby World Cup gets underway later today. This is the first time the tournament is being hosted by an asian nation. Its only four years ago that japans team, the brave blossoms caused a huge shock with their 3a 32 victory over south africa in england. Nowjapan will be hoping to build on that stunning victory on home soil. Lets go straight to the bbcs mariko oi whos in tokyo for us. A lot of excitement with the brave blossoms facing the russians tonight yes, rico. And the aim for it to be taking place in japan is because they want to spread the popularity of the sport outside countries like australia, new zealand, england and south africa. I think it is working because people are certainly quite excited about it. There have been questions about ticket sales and so on but the fact is they want to spread the popularity and asia is of course the most populous region on the planet andjapan most populous region on the planet and japan has the largest rug by and japan has the largest rug rugby playing population in asia. Baseball and football are more popular but rugby is popular especially among University Students was not i visited a University Last night to watch them practice and find out how the students feel. Rugby has never been that big injapan but it suddenly came into the spotlight in 2015 after that shock victory by japans brave blossoms over south africa. It has been dubbed the greatest upset at a Rugby World Cup. It gave the country the extra push for hosting rights and here we are. Japan has become the first asian nation to host the tournament. It was a bit of a gamble, though, for the Rugby World Cup to be taking place in a country where baseball and football are more popular. There have been some concerns about ticket sales, especially outside of big cities. Local support will probably on how the home team how the home team does in the big tournament but these students are very excited. Translation up until now, i only watched other nations teams games on television but the fact they are playing in my home country is great. Translation the current Japanese Team is said to be at its best and the coach hopes to be in the top eight. Just like the last world cup when they beat south africa, i hope they do well and rugby becomes more popular injapan. Translation i thought only rugby players and fans would enjoy this world cup but ive noticed my fans who dont play rugby are looking forward to it, too. Japan is up against russia in fridays opening match and the home team is ranked higher than the opponent. Japan is no stranger to host a big event. Wiech me is a professor does meet with me is a professorfrom event. Wiech me is a professor does meet with me is a professor from the university who is also a rugby expert. It is a Good Opportunity to host so many visitors but it is also of manners. Tattoos are associated with organised crime injapan but a lot of rugby players have tattoos. How are they trying to mitigate the sensitive issues . I dont think they can. Fact of the matter is they have one eye closed and one eye open. I think that is the methodology that is the only way forward. Fact is, the foreigners are forgiven for doing the wrong thing so i wouldnt excessively worry about it. It is true, it is one of those cultural variations that is giving a big headache to the administrators. After the shock victory in 2015, you are telling us how the number of stu d e nts are telling us how the number of students playing rugby has gone down because mothers watched it and thought it was a bit too dangerous. Do you think after this Rugby World Cup the popularity of the sport will go cup the popularity of the sport will 9 up cup the popularity of the sport will go up and the number of students playing as well . I would like to think so but it is the not in my backya rd think so but it is the not in my backyard phenomenon feel because it isa backyard phenomenon feel because it is a very dangerous spot. Sport. I would like to think that the popularity will go up because the popularity will go up because the camaraderie and all of these wonderful things that would suit the Japanese Culture as well. I would like to think it would be an increase in popularity in rugby here. At the university, they were hoping for top eight forjapans ralph possums. How far do you think the Japanese Team can go . Ralph possums. How far do you think theJapanese Team can go . Ralph possums. How far do you think the Japanese Team can go . Brave blossoms. They have a good chance and while it would give a vast route to the japanese would be seen, i hope it is the case. Thank you for staying with us throughout newsday. Rico and nuala, i think if you ask all the japanese fans whether they understand all the rules, i dont think the answer will be yes but at the same time, they are very excited about having this big sporting event right here in japan. Lets take a look at some of the days other news. Former british Prime MinisterDavid Cameron has revealed he asked the queen for help ahead of the Scottish Independence vote in 2014. The palaces reaction to the admission . Sources say theres displeasure. At the time, the queen told voters they should think very carefully about their decision. Heres what mr cameron said. I remember conversations that i had with my private secretary and he had with the queens private secretary and i had with the queens private secretary. Not asking for anything that would be improper and unconstitutional butjust a raising of the eyebrow, even, you know, a quarter of an inch, we thought would make a difference. Also making news today the us secretary of state, mike pompeo, says he wants a peaceful outcome to the confrontation with iran over saturdays drone and missile strike on saudi arabia. On wednesday, mr pompeo described the attack as an act of war. Iran denies us allegations it was behind the assault on saudi oilfacilities. I think it is abundantly clear and there is enormous consensus in the region that we know who conducted these attacks is iran. I didnt hear anyone who doubted that for a moment. The former president of tunisia zein El Abideen Ben Ali has died in exile aged 83. He was forced from office, after two decades in power, following mass street protests which triggered a wave of similar uprisings across the arab world. Ben ali was sentenced in his absence to thirty five years in prison for embezzling public money. Residents of the northern french town of armentieres were shocked to see what looked like a black panther stalking the rooftops. The big cat spent nearly an hour on a ledge before a vet sedated it with a tranquilliser dart. Before its capture, the panther had gone into an apartment belonging to a family whose15 year old daughter was at home. Police are seeking the panthers owner for questioning. Indonesia is still fighting to cope with thousands of forest fires which are sending thick smoke across the region. Most of the fires are being started to clear land for plantations. The haze is causing Health Problems for local residents and wildlife as rivan dwiaston reports from kalimantan. Firefighters and volunteers struggled to put out this fire one of the thousands of hotspots burning across the island. But their Water Resources are running out. The community is praying for rain. Translation our main problem now is water. Here, the long dry season has made our water sources run dry. Its difficult to get water close to the hotspots. From the air, their homes are barely visible through the haze. Hundreds of thousands of acres of burning forest and peatland has thrown a toxic blanket over the region. Its having a devastating effect on peoples health. Tens of thousands of people are now suffering from haze related illness. This local hospital has set up this clinic with bags and oxygen for the locals who have been breathing in toxic haze for weeks and the air outside is having real impact on locals and some of the worst our children. This 5 month old baby has been struggling to breathe. Hes being treated alongside his sister. Endangered orangutans are also suffering while the fires destroy more of their shrinking habitat. Their forest cleared to make way for lucrative palm oil plantations. Indonesia is the Worlds Largest producer and these fires were lit illegally to clear more land. Helicopters water bomb hotspots and thousands of troops have been deployed to fight the fires. These fires release enormous Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere. At the peak of the 2015 fires, the worst fires in two decades, the blaze are estimated to have emanated more Greenhouse Gases than the entire us economy in the same period. After those devastating fires, indonesia vowed to prevent it from occurring again. But observers say that weak Law Enforcement and corruption is the major barrier to stopping them coming back every year. The canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau has issued a new apology tonight, after fresh video emerged of him wearing blackface make up, a day after he admitted such behaviour was racist. Mr trudeau said hed hurt people who faced discrimination but couldnt say how many times hed worn blackface. From 0ttawa, nick bryant reports. In this age of celebrity politicians, Justin Trudeau is a politician who became a celebrity. Youthful, telegenic a leader who seemed to embody the values of modern day progressiveness, a model of political correctness. Put this photo presents a very different picture, showing him wearing blackface make up at a private school gala in 2001. An arabian nights Costume Party where, as a 29 year old teacher, he was dressed as a charater from aladdin. His message today forgive me, ive changed. Darkening yourface, regardless of the context or the circumstances, is always unacceptable because of the racist history of blackface. I should have understood that then, and i never should have done it. More blackface photos have emerged, and a video has surfaced from the early 90s showing a young Justin Trudeau sticking his tongue out and making faces. All this in the midst of an Election Campaign in which mr trudeau had already been reeling from a corruption scandal. Blackface is now recognised as a racist caricature, and his opponents are piling in. Any time we hear examples of brownface or blackfacing, its making a mockery of someone for what they live, and what their lived experiences are. I think he needs to answer for it. The young Prime Minister has always sought to portray canada as one of the worlds most successfully multicultural countries. Here, he greeted Syrian Refugees at the airport. This damages his political brand. But in the capital, 0ttawa, today, most people we spoke to were forgiving. It is nothing, because he was very young at the time. And it was canada, its not the us, we dont have the same history here that they have in the us. Do you find it offensive . I do. Hes positioned himself as a liberal counterpoint to donald trump, but his golden boy image has been tarnished. Nick bryant, bbc news, 0ttawa. Youre watching newsday on the bbc. Still to come on the Programme Climate protests are expected in countries across the world. Well hear from one of the students preparing to strike. Also on the programme how discrimination and prejudice in south korea are driving young gay teenagers to the brink. While 30 hours after the earthquake that devastated mexico city, rescue teams still have no idea just how many people have died. There is people alive and there is people not alive. We just can help and give them whatever weve got. A state funeral is being held for princess grace of monaco at the church where she married prince rainier 26 years ago. It looked as though they had come to fight a war, but their mission is to bring peace to east timor, and nowhere on earth needs it more badly. The governments case is being forcefully presented by monsieur badinter, the justice minister. Hes campaigned vigorously for the abolition, having once witnessed one of his clients being executed. Elizabeth seton spent much of her time at this grotto, and every year, hundreds of pilgrimages are made here. Now that shes become a saint, its expected that this area will be inundated with tourists. The mayor and local businessman regard the anticipated boom as just another blessing of st elizabeth. This is newsday on the bbc. Im rico hizon in singapore. Im Nuala Mcgovern in london. Our top stories japan prepares to make history as the first asian nation to host the Rugby World Cup. Canadas Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, says he deeply regrets that he wore blackface make up on several occasions decades ago. Hes facing renewed pressure ahead of next months general election. Now for a look at some front pages from around the world. Lets begin with the International Edition ofjapan times its reporting that after a 2 year trial, three former executives of the japanese Electrical Company tepco have been acquitted of professional negligence. 30 lawsuits had been filed against them arguing that their negligence resulted in the 2011 Fukushima Nuclear crisis. The Straits Times is leading with one of our main stories the haze cloaking singapore and malaysia for a second week. It says says air purifiers will be issued if the haze worsens for students undergoing examinations, and employees who work outside are being given masks to help filter the air. And arab news is covering a report by Amnesty International titled all work, no pay that says qatar is failing to fulfil its promises to improve the conditions of Migrant Workers in the run up to the 2022 world cup. Students around the world are ditching class to demand action on Climate Change. 0rganisers expect more than a Million People to join the Global Climate strike on friday, with events held in at least 100 countries. The movement is championed by teenage activist greta thunberg, who will join protestors in new york. Theyre hoping the worlds leaders take note as they head to next weeks un Climate Action summit. 15 year old student danielle porre viafuna is in sydney, and will be marching on friday. Were going to be striking in the city of sydney today because Climate Change is something we care so deeply. It generally threatens our future like nothing weve ever seen before so us, so tens of thousands of students are joining together with adults and all people across society to fight the Climate Justice because it needs to be done and we need to have action. Have your parents said yeah, thats fine, go ahead, skip school. Tell me a bit about the interaction youve had with adults. Its a fascinating thing that its really teenagers who are leading this movement. I think its really interesting how a lot of people frame it as we are just being told by adults to go and skip school. The reality is, we are not skipping school, we are working hard, we are on the street fighting the social we are on the streets, we are fighting for social movements, fighting for something that is so deeply important to us and that something that adults have not acted on and its not adults telling us to go onto the streets, its science telling us to go on the streets because the adults are not listening to the science which is why we are out here fighting for it. And my point really is slightly different. I was wondering whether your parents were cool for you to go out or they would prefer you to stay in school. My parents are quite supportive of it. They are happy that i am involved and im really passionate about something thats important to me and that im acting on it. You say you feel enough has not been done. Do you think Something Like this can really make a difference . Will it really connect with political leaders . Theyve had so many opportunities in the previous decades to perhaps be more forthright than they have been. Well, i do think its quite disappointing that up to this point, they havent really listened to us. They havent listened to the science until we take these actions and us young people go out on strike in locations all over the world. I definitely think that is a force with hundreds of thousands of young people as a force across the world, together, we are incredibly powerful and we see that. We see that in the fact that there is a un Climate Summit next week. They are listening to us and Climate Change is definitely on most peoples radar. In sydney, is there one particular aspect when it comes to Climate Change that youd like to see the Australian Government tackle