trying to cross the english channel. join us tonight at 8:45pm. good evening. officials in belgium say they've discovered the first case in europe of a new variant of coronavirus deemed to be of huge international concern. the world health organization has given the variant the greek name omicron. there are fears that omicron, which has been circulating in south africa for at least two weeks, might be more transmissible — and that vaccines may be less effective against it. from midday today, the uk suspended direct flights from six countries in southern africa — and from 4am on sunday, anyone arriving here from those countries will have to quarantine at their own expense for ten days in an approved hotel. the us hasjoined the european union, japan and several other countries announcing flight bans to countries in southern africa. our medical editor fergus walsh reports. after months of opening up, a new coronavirus variant means travel restrictions are back. at heathrow, the last flights from south africa arrived this morning. i feel extremely relieved, because, yeah, who knows how long this is going to last? we've been told we have to isolate at home, so that shouldn't be too bad. from sunday, only uk and irish residents will be allowed in from six southern african countries, and they'll have to pay to quarantine in a hotel. the travel restrictions mean catherine will miss her niece�*s wedding in south africa. it's devastating. they've held back this wedding for two years for us, so we were all going to be together, which is really important. and literally, we were off on the ninth, and now we are not. the health secretary said the new variant may pose a substantial risk to public health, so the restrictions were necessary. i want to reassure this house that there are no detected cases of this variant in the uk at this time, but this new variant is of huge international concern. several coronavirus mutations have already made the covid pandemic worse. the alpha variant, identified in kent, drove a huge wave of hospital admissions and deaths here last winter. the delta variant, first detected in india, was even more transmissible and is currently the dominant strain worldwide. on paper, the new variant looks worrying, with twice the number of mutations found on delta. around 30 of these are in the spike protein, the key the virus uses to unlock our cells, and these changes may help it evade our body's defences. so far, we don't know whether the variant causes more severe disease, whether vaccines will be less effective, or drugs won't work. it's the sheer number and type of mutations that has scientists here troubled. some of them have never been seen in combinations like this before, many of them we have seen in various variants of concern so far, but it is the complexity of the mutations that we are seeing today, and the effects that it may have won both the immune response and transmissibility, that are a huge concern. the next few weeks will see scientific detective work in labs to determine the threat posed by this variant. travel bans will slow the spread but won't stop it going global if it has a competitive advantage over other variants. fergus walsh, bbc news. here, the government's latest coronavirus figures for the uk show there were just over 50,000 new infections recorded, in the latest 24—hour period. on average, over a4,000 cases were reported per day in the last week. 7,633 people were in hospital with covid as of yesterday. there were 160 deaths, that's of people who died within 28 days of a positive test, which means the average number of deaths over the past seven days was 125. the total number at 144,593. on vaccinations, 88.5% of people aged 12 and over have now received a first dose and 80.4% have been and more than 16.7 million people have received their booster jab. south africa's tourism minister, lindiwe sisulu, has been giving her view on the way the global community has reacted to the emergence of the omicron variant. it isa it is a tough day and a very disappointing day for us because we've been here today and we thought we'd worked our way out of the red list but unfortunately we find ourselves back in again. do you understand _ ourselves back in again. do you understand the _ ourselves back in again. do you understand the circumstances l ourselves back in again. do you| understand the circumstances in which countries like the uk, the eu and in the last few minutes the united states have imposed these bands? ~ , ., ., bands? well, i understand how you erceive bands? well, i understand how you perceive africa _ bands? well, i understand how you perceive africa as _ bands? well, i understand how you perceive africa as just _ bands? well, i understand how you perceive africa asjust one - bands? well, i understand how you perceive africa asjust one mass . bands? well, i understand how you perceive africa asjust one mass of| perceive africa as just one mass of land somewhere that's very far away but we in south africa have a very similar system to yours. we have a group of scientists who study the trends around the world, who studied the mutation of the virus and advise us on a regular basis. and they discovered that in botswana, our next—door neighbour, there a mutation that was mutating faster than we thought and we reported that to the government. how we get involved in it is a matter that concerns us very much because we've concerns us very much because we�*ve had concerns us very much because we've had very good relations with our high commissioner here and he helped us get through the red list the first time. there was no consultation and we are bound by the who requirements to report any significant information. find who requirements to report any significant information.— who requirements to report any significant information. and you did 'ust that. significant information. and you did just that- we _ significant information. and you did just that. we did _ significant information. and you did just that. we did just _ significant information. and you did just that. we did just that. - significant information. and you did just that. we did just that. no - significant information. and you did just that. we did just that. no one | just that. we did 'ust that. no one would suggest _ just that. we did just that. no one would suggest there _ just that. we did just that. no one would suggest there is _ just that. we did just that. no one would suggest there is any - just that. we did just that. no one l would suggest there is any tardiness on south africa's part. equally governments with people travelling from south africa or people who have been on holiday there and come back, it's not surprising, is it, that they are going to post some restrictions until they know more about this variant. the criticism before is that they didn't do it with the delta variant and as a consequence, a lot of people died. they did put us on the red list with the delta virus. i they did put us on the red list with the delta virus.— they did put us on the red list with the delta virus. i was thinking more with india when _ the delta virus. i was thinking more with india when it _ the delta virus. i was thinking more with india when it was _ the delta virus. i was thinking more with india when it was first - with india when it was first identified, do you see my point? yes, i see. identified, do you see my point? yes, isee. howeverwe've identified, do you see my point? yes, isee. however we've had identified, do you see my point? yes, i see. however we've had very good relations and we would never have expected there would be a continuation of an enquiry about this matter. we are caught between the dictates of what the situation would require that we do is report when you find something that is as dangerous as this. we would expect some sort of consultation around this matter and thereafter perhaps we would mutually agree on how to get out of it or how to deal with it. but to find ourselves waking up to being red listed is on the way we'd expect the british to behave towards us. i we'd expect the british to behave towards us— towards us. i understand the frustration _ towards us. i understand the frustration your _ towards us. i understand the frustration your end. - towards us. i understand the frustration your end. we - towards us. i understand the frustration your end. we are | towards us. i understand the - frustration your end. we are told the flights will restart on sunday but with the condition that people will have to pay to self isolate in government approved hotels, which might be a significant problem for many people given the additional costs involved in them travelling to the uk, never mind other european countries. you must be worried about the impact on what is approaching the impact on what is approaching the peak season for foreign tourism to south africa? {iii the peak season for foreign tourism to south africa?— to south africa? of course. i 'ust had a long — to south africa? of course. i 'ust had a long meeting i to south africa? of course. i 'ust had a long meeting with * to south africa? of course. i 'ust had a long meeting with the h to south africa? of course. ijust . had a long meeting with the tourism industry who are devastated because we put in place a recovery plan and we put in place a recovery plan and we were hoping that we were well ahead with the plan to make sure that by the time we get to the holiday season we are able to take in as much as we can. they've suffered billions of rand is lost in the lockdown and they were looking forward to getting tourists coming in and right out of the blue, with all the work we've been doing, we find ourselves on this list. we would like to engage the british scientists who have come to this determination about us to see if we cannot come to some kind of resolution of this matter. this is not a unilateral... _ resolution of this matter. this is not a unilateral... it _ resolution of this matter. this is not a unilateral... it is _ resolution of this matter. this isj not a unilateral... it is unilateral in terms of them imposing it but it is a measure being copied by other countries. president biden is doing the same with the us and the eu recommend the same to their countries as well.— recommend the same to their countries as well. , , u, , , countries as well. yes, because they take their cue _ countries as well. yes, because they take their cue from _ countries as well. yes, because they take their cue from britain, - countries as well. yes, because they take their cue from britain, they - take their cue from britain, they took their cue from you. we are very disappointed because we thought that we would have some sort of discussion around the matter. the variant that we've discovered is in belgium. you haven't cut off belgium from visiting britain, you haven't done anything like that. we just find that we have to have more cohesion around decisions of this nature because they affect our economy very, very badly. we had hoped to have some kind of discussions around the matter. we are still open to convincing... we have the highest percentage of people who have been vaccinated in the world. em people who have been vaccinated in the world. �* , ., ., the world. an update from the south african government. _ the world. an update from the south african government. it _ the world. an update from the south african government. it is _ the world. an update from the south african government. it is bringing . african government. it is bringing forward its next scheduled meeting of the country's national coronavirus command council which was due to be on sunday but is now going to be held tomorrow. that's come in over the last few minutes. dr catherine smallwood from the world health organization says we have to commend the work of scientists in south africa. there is a lot of work already going on, a lot of information being shared, especially from our south african colleagues. i think that is something we really have to recognise. the openness, the transparency and the meaningfulness of sharing this information will have a global implication. as all countries have found, and some have learned to their cost when perhaps certain countries haven't been as open about information, notjust on new variants but case numbers but in the end they paid a heavy price, sometimes for not being, but in this ecase, for being very candid. in terms of the information supplied, what are the concerns about this variant? what is making people go, hang on? there have been lots of mini variations, why is this bad enough to have its own name and for people to be so anxious? that's right. it's particularly worrying because based on its mutation profile it looks quite different, and significantly different. it has 32 mutations around these spike proteins, the area of the virus that is important in how it transmits and enters our cells, when it infects us. and some of these mutations we know about because we've seen them in other variants. but other mutations are totally new and it's this constellation of mutations that we don't really understand very well yet. that's why it is of particular concern at the moment. of course we are looking at the transmission patterns in south africa, where it has seemed to displace the delta variant, which had been dominant in the country. the case numbers are rising in all of the provinces in south africa. the who also says there is preliminary evidence of an increased risk of reinfection. is that of people who have already had covid? yes, that would be. that's basically because some of those mutations are mutations that are associated with immune escape. so that might mean people who had previously had covid—19 and it might also mean, we don't know this for sure yet, but there may be a decrease in the effectiveness of the vaccine. that's not to say that vaccines were to be effective at all, but there may be a decrease, as delta saw a decrease let me bring you some breaking news which we've just had from our colleagues in news—gathering. the uncle mariam mohammed mean has confirmed she was one of the people who died on wednesday when she was drowned along with 26 other people. the family are waiting for the body to be flown back to kurdistan. we've also spoken to her fiance. we will have more on that over the next couple of hours. the first publicly identified victim of the group who drowned trying to cross the channel on wednesday, maryam nouri hamadameen, who originated from kurdistan. the french president emmanuel macron has accused borisjohnson of not being serious, after the prime minister sent him a letter — which he also put on twitter — calling on france to accept the return of people making illegal crossings across the channel. france has also withdrawn an invitation to the home secretary priti patel to attend a meeting this weekend to discuss the crisis. it follows the deaths of 27 people who drowned on wednesday while trying to reach the uk. lucy williamson reports from calais. the road between paris and london is getting colder. the political distance a little wider each day. here in the migrant camps caught between the two governments they know about barriers and communication. macron says you are not serious, is he right? meeting the polish pm today, borisjohnson says co—operation between european partners was the riches of the migrant crisis. but again underlines that this is a problem we have to fix together. borisjohnson is accused by france of using the migrant crisis for his own political ends. last night mrjohnson sent out a series of tweets saying he had written to the french president macron with a number of proposals. he tweeted the letter calling forjoint patrols and suggesting that all illegal migrants who cross the channel be returned to france. this, he said, would break the business model of the criminal gangs. france is agitated by mrjohnson�*s style of diplomacy and it shows. translation: i am surprised - when things are not done seriously. we don't communicate between leaders on these issues via tweets or published letters. we are not whistle—blowers. come on. the ministers will work seriously to settle a serious issue with serious people. the tensions between france and the uk built up over a range of issues are becoming increasingly public. the home secretary priti patel was due here in calais this weekend to discuss migration but since mrjohnson�*s tweets last night she has been disinvited. uk officials are in paris today to discuss the issue. as officials try to bridge the political divide, migrants here are planning day after day how to bridge the channel. like moez, from sudan, queuing at a food distribution truck. he is undeterred by the deaths of 27 people in the channel this week. would he stop trying if he thought he would be sent straight back to france? this is my dream to go to the uk. if i came back to france again i would go to the uk. never be stopped. not stop, never. neither disaster nor diplomacy has stopped the rhythm of these crossings. an alternative to the promises of people smugglers can feel as remote here as the elisee palace or downing street. lucy williamson, bbc news. english cricket authorities have published an anti—racism action plan in response to the azeem rafiq scandal, that has sent shockwaves through the game. the measures announced by the england and wales cricket board include a review of dressing—room culture as well as action to help non—white and less privileged players pursue careers in the game. the former yorkshire cricketer has spoken of the racism he's suffered throughout his career. let's speak to bbc asian network's ankur desai. thanks for being with us. what do you make of the report? what are the essential elements here? fine you make of the report? what are the essential elements here?— essential elements here? one of the thins essential elements here? one of the thin . s that essential elements here? one of the things that really _ essential elements here? one of the things that really caught _ essential elements here? one of the things that really caught my - essential elements here? one of the things that really caught my eye, - things that really caught my eye, talking about the bullet points, there are five key areas and there's going to be a subsection of areas underneath. one of the key things that stood out for me is the full review of dressing room culture which will be part of a wider ranging action plan. dressing room culture has come out a lot from what azeem rafiq had to say and what a lot of former players who have made allegations had to say. i felt that the clubhouse culture made it so difficult for them to integrate and for british asian players to feel they were part of a community. that stood out for me because there have been many allegations from former team—mates and staff at various counties of using inappropriate language which people have described as banter, which is frankly insulting and denigrating to many people from an ethnic background. that was one of the key things that stood out for me. figs that was one of the key things that stood out for me.— stood out for me. as you say, the dismissive — stood out for me. as you say, the dismissive way _ stood out for me. as you say, the dismissive way in _ stood out for me. as you say, the dismissive way in which _ stood out for me. as you say, the dismissive way in which yorkshire j dismissive way in which yorkshire accepted a number of the complaints that azeem rafiq made, proven but dismissed as not needing further action because they were banter. clearly there is a fundamental problem there. what about some of the other things? more diversity with a deadline of april next year. can all clubs make that kind of deadline? presumably in some places that's going to be quite a challenge if they haven't even thought about diverse staffing until now. exactly, it will be a massive _ diverse staffing until now. exactly, it will be a massive challenge, - it will be a massive challenge, especially because of the number of players who have come out and started contacting various counties who have set up hotlines for people to give their accounts and to give a description of what their experiences work. they have the winter months to pair for the next season, so to have so much people behind—the—scenes, that's going to behind—the—scenes, that's going to be a massive up taking for many counties through who don't have the infrastructure. they may be an indictment of the game, that many counties haven't had to think about it for so long. maybe this restructuring, it is quite ambitious to say next april but it is also positive for the ecb to say that if we want to get our house in order, the counties must also and the communication between the counties and the ecb must be clear and transparent and fairly swift as well. �* ., , transparent and fairly swift as well. �* . , . . , transparent and fairly swift as well. �* ., . . , ., well. the ecb was criticised not least because _ well. the ecb was criticised not least because the _ well. the ecb was criticised not least because the former - well. the ecb was criticised not. least because the former chairman well. the ecb was criticised not - least because the former chairman of yorkshire said he tried to get them involved at the time of the enquiry into yorkshire and they said it was a matterfor the into yorkshire and they said it was a matter for the county. into yorkshire and they said it was a matterfor the county. visibly into yorkshire and they said it was a matter for the county. visibly a number of counties won't be very keen on the ecb taking a more proactive role in intervening in club affairs —— presumably a number of counties. notjust organising the matches, but looking inside the clubs themselves.— matches, but looking inside the clubs themselves. yeah i think that mi . ht clubs themselves. yeah i think that miaht be a clubs themselves. yeah i think that might be a concern _ clubs themselves. yeah i think that might be a concern from _ clubs themselves. yeah i think that might be a concern from some - might be a concern from some counties but i think counties for a number of years felt as if they haven't been well supported enough by the ecb because some counties don't generate as much revenue from international matches for on examples. they will be hoping that the £25 million that the ecb have pledged, that filters down to a number of counties and that the money is spent accordingly and change will be facilitated because reading comments on social media, people say that a lot of the steps have been positive that the ecb have announced. putting your money where your mouth is means hopefully some money will be taken.— your mouth is means hopefully some money will be taken. lovely to speak to ou. money will be taken. lovely to speak to yom thanks _ money will be taken. lovely to speak to you. thanks for _ money will be taken. lovely to speak to you. thanks for your _ money will be taken. lovely to speak to you. thanks for your time. - a girl of 12 has died after being attacked in the street by a group of teenage boys in liverpool city centre. ava white was with friends when it's thought they were involved in an argument — and she suffered what police have described as �*catastrophic injuries'. four boys, aged between 13 and 15, have been arrested on suspicion of her murder. danny savage reports. ava white was 12 years old. last night, she came into liverpool city centre as the christmas lights were switched on. she never made it home. today, police sealed off a large part of the city's shopping area, investigating the killing of a year eight schoolgirl. any 12—year—old dying in these circumstances would be shocking. it's devastating for the family, and i think many people who have 12, 13—year—olds will be... just can't believe that has happened. as the day wore on, people came to leave flowers. some of them knew ava, many of them didn't, just shocked that such a terrible thing could happen here. she was just so small, and loving and kind. she had one of the most... she was one of the kindest people i've met. they were all so lovely. the fact that she has been took so early in life, it's not nice. businesses in the crime scene cordon stayed closed for most of the day, but in the communities ava white was part of, people tried to sum up who she was. ava was a thoughtful, considerate girl. she looked for the positive in everything. she was a much loved member of the school community, and she just made friends with absolutely everyone. she took everyone under her wing and wasjust a genuinely nice little girl. a passer—by who saw what happened to ava tried to help. paramedics came and treated her at the scene before taking her onto to alder hey children's hospital. she died a short time later. she was a pupil here at notre dame catholic college in everton. the head teacher released a statement saying. in the moments after the attack, those responsible were seen running away. police later arrested four teenage boys aged between 13 and 15. they are now being questioned by detectives. danny savage, bbc news, liverpool. a further update on the drownings from the channel on wednesday evening. we now have a photograph to go with the name of the young woman who died on the boat when she was drowned. maryam nouri hamadameen. you may have seen stories on social media with a different name. the family heard the news from two other people who were with her on board the boat and herfamily people who were with her on board the boat and her family are waiting for her body to be returned and flown back to kurdistan. maryam nouri hamadameen is the first named victim of the 27 people who lost their lives on wednesday evening in their lives on wednesday evening in the english channel. the met office has issued a rare red weather warning for north eastern parts of the uk, that means people are being advised not to travel in those areas. the warning is because of storm arwen moving in from the east — travel disruption has already been extensive and trains between edinburgh and england have been cancelled. our scotland correspondent lorna gordon is in stonehaven on the east coast of scotland where some of the heaviest winds are forecast. very difficult conditions out here tonight. these red weather warnings are not issued lightly. last one was almost two years ago. a huge sweep of the east coast of britain is affected, from north of aberdeen down to middlesbrough in the north—east of england. there's warnings of gusting wind up to 90 mph, reports of wave heights out to sea reaching nine, ten metres high. coastal communities like this one in stonehaven are ready for the waves and flooding. so far that hasn't happened here but there are very treacherous conditions out on the roads with the gusting wind, falling debris. the red alert means there is a potential risk to life. the police in scotland tonight saying that if you live in any of these affected areas, you should not head out onto the roads. lorna gordon, ifeel for her! it looks pretty rough. now on bbc news, plaid cymru's leader adam price says his party's co—operation agreement with labour in the senedd will change the lives of thousands of people across wales. in a speech played at a virtual conference, mr price says that plans in the deal to give all primary schoolchildren free school meals show the party is making a difference. let's have a listen. we will help to shape a new and reformed maryam new and reformed senedd which will enshrine the right to equal representation of women for the first time ever. may's election was an absolute rejection of those wanting to do away with the senedd and it's an embodiment of the overwhelming support for radical self—government. so the senedd must also be strengthened with new powers over welfare, also be strengthened with new powers overwelfare, communications, over welfare, communications, broadcasting, and justice. overwelfare, communications, broadcasting, and justice. ialso believe that made's election confirmed wales's status as an independence curious nation, which will give birth, sooner than many think, to an independent wales. the cross—party constitutional commission will take our national constitutionaljourney commission will take our national constitutional journey to the commission will take our national constitutionaljourney to the next stage. it is significant that as is co—chair professor laura mcallister put it, the commission will look at the fullest range of potential constitutional futures for wales. indeed and notwithstanding the excellent work of our own independence commission it will be the first time an official body established by the welsh government will undertake substantive research on welsh independence. the commission signifies a shared understanding that we shouldn't wait for our constitutional future to be chosen for us by default by decisions in westminster or indeed by developments elsewhere in these islands. it represents a determination that we should decide for ourselves. we should neither be on the sidelines or in the shadow of deliberations elsewhere. instead, the commission gives us the opportunity of putting wales at the forefront of our own debate. i'm confident that our nominated member of the commission, leanne wood, will be a powerful voice in ensuring just that. the agreement is also about providing the people of wales with practical improvements in their everyday lives, from the tangible and immediate, to the far—reaching and immediate, to the far—reaching and transformational. one of our greatest thinkers raymond williams told us that culture is ordinary. it's in the food on the table, the care of the elderly and vibrancy of the democracy. that is the stuff of life and the stuff of this agreement. i see the life and the stuff of this a . reement. agreement. i see the basic humanity, life and the stuff of this a . reement. agreement. i see the basic humanity, that sense that we all depend on each other. a sense that in the end we all share a common humanity. that is why the national care service will be pioneered jointly with our friends in scotland as was our nhs all those decades ago. a new national care service that will do so much to support our nhs. the nhs to whom we owe so much with dedicated staff who have sacrificed so much and more than we could ever imagine. forthe so much and more than we could ever imagine. for the sake of us all these past 18 months. we need to do so much to repay them. in the national care service is one of those down payments on the debt we owe them. they say that all nations are imagined. well, we have reimagined our nation this week. for too long our imagination of wales were confined to the sonnet, the song and the stadium. it still lives in all those ways but our incentive is the new voice of wales competent identity. our senate will shine a live notjust in the nation of these islands but increasingly on our continent in the world. it is swanky moore struck the equaliser against belgium, another through the sticks and when kick the crucial penalty we scored another victory for the welsh way this week. friends, all of these things have been secured by the cooperation agreement announced this week. without this agreement they either would not be happening at all or certainly not at this pace. in our manifesto going into the election in may crafted out of movements collective intelligence we had a detailed and visionary perspectives which served as a framework of our negotiation. the agreement means a wales starting to chart a new course by 2035 to not zero. and targets to tackle that nature emergency. radical and immediate interventions to tackle the housing crisis and to reset the housing market in favour of people and communities. family farms continue to receive disability payments that make them viable during and beyond this senedd term. the creation of a national construction company to improve the supply of social housing. a company to expand community owned renewable energy regeneration for the welsh history has a mandate to be part of the curriculum. an independent review of the flooding that occurred across wales during the winters of 2020 and 2021 with a commitment to act on its recommendations. and at last, after decades of debate turning the new national gallery of contemporary art into a reality. friends, all of these things have been secured by the cooperation agreement announced this week. without this agreement they would either not be happening at all or certainly not at this pace. none of these would be happening certainly. six months at a time arduous negotiation have paid off. from a position of opposition in deep senedd we are presented a labour administration with a programme for government. it's fitting that we should vote in the ratification of this programme at this annual conference because 2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the conference of 1981. when he first became an ex parte ames eight essentialist socialist party. that decision supported by evans who realised that our national movement in the community of communities that is wales had to be rooted in the welsh radical tradition. this is a radical agreement that represents the clearest and most decisive break with the preceding ten years of neoliberalism that followed the end of the one wales coalition. when last succeeded in shifting labour and wales to the left. beyond its wider political significance, this programme will bring an immediate and long—term benefit for the people of wales. which is why i resolved we should do our utmost to achieve it. it's the reason it's being supported by the groups in senate and it was minister and by the national executive. and it is the main reason why i urge you to support it when conference votes on the agreement tomorrow. i spent my time into parliaments and i know which one i prefer. we shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us. those famously were winston churchill those words speaking why decant in the house of lords as he moved a motion to rebuild the house of commons then in ruins following one of the major bombings in london. decrying the semi—circular parliaments, and on the european mainland he was at pains to ensure the house of commons was rebuilt to exactly the same model of opposing benches that came to epitomise the west minister model later and elsewhere. where politics takes place and take shape west minister is green benches with her majesties government and opposition facing each other are a symbol of a political culture that is adversarial by design. but that binary empowerment has its roots in the anti—democratic traditions of a royal court. the mother of parliaments and as its rather erroneously called given iceland is much older democracy, met for the very first time in 2015 in the neighbour of saint stephen's chapel, hence the name in welsh. with two parallel roles and rows of some ornaments, clergy and noblemen revolving around a centrally placed monarch now represented by the maze as a symbol of ultimate power. that's the source of west ministers claim of continuing supremacy. in a toxic muscularity of today's unionist paragraph. the two dimensional thinking that sees politics as a perpetual 0—sum game. our senedd is designed to be different. it's a shape of a circle, out of all the 200 national parliaments of the world this does so to be based on that symbol of equality and cooperation. in a circle everyone is equal. everyone has a voice and everyone is focused on the problem that is placed in the middle of the circle. politics after all, should be more thanjust a game of verbal tennis where we bat the ball predictably back and forth. the circular congregation seeks to embed allows us potentially and wales to develop a more creative politics then a sterile, macho posturing of west minister. what if instead of west minister. what if instead of west ministers culture of them and us we build a politics where there was only us in the central question was only us in the central question was and who wins and who loses but what we can do together? now, creative politics sounds like an oxymoron, a bit like non—profit banking but were about to bring it backin banking but were about to bring it back in with bank cumbria and heartfelt visionaries for their pioneering work in this area. with the big banking corporations leaving our communities high and dry we need welsh social innovation now more than ever. but we desperately need to innovate and our politics too if we are going to be able to address the great challenges of our age, not least the task of getting wales independence ready. for that new creative politics to take root we need a new political culture built on trust and mutual respect for them and that does mean a capacity to reach across our political differences. art welsh radicalism should be resolutely nontribal and non— secretary. we should work with patriots and socialists and all progressive parties and movements as we are doing with the green party and civic campaigners in the capital. if we do manage to build a more creative, more collaborative politics and has the potential to transform our democracy. with more people stepping forward to serve and more young people engaged in the politics because they are tuned in, not turned off. we will create a more diverse, more inclusive democracy that we need if we are together to solve our many problems and realise our full potential. maybe some of you watching today will be inspired to put your names forward for next years council elections. orfor the forward for next years council elections. or for the elections to the seventh senedd. a senedd that will better represent the wales of today and pre— figure the independent wales of tomorrow. as the welsh government says, the cooperation agreement is an ambitious and far—reaching policy programme. oras ambitious and far—reaching policy programme. or as we would say, is a nation programme for government which will change the lives of thousands of people the length and breath of our country for the better. all this entails transforming itself from a position opposition party in the west minister cents to something new and refreshingly different. a co— opposition party, cooperating where possible while continuing to oppose and discuss when necessary. there's no precedent for what were about to embark upon in the politics of these islands. it's a unique welsh departure the british constitution a down payment if you like on independence. though similar arrangements of app and elsewhere, notably in scandinavian countries such as sweden, denmark and norway and in commonwealth countries such as new zealand, small nations all breaking the mould of politics as usual. what we have crafted in this agreement is in approach entirely new in the political culture we've grown up with and are used to. it will require inasmuch innovation and agility and employee animation as it is formation. however you describe it, whatever you call it, it's not opposition is him for opposition sake. there are some attractions may be too opposition is him but the deeper question and politics is not to or what we are against but what are we really for? at the heart of our politics in this party above all else buys the idea of a welsh demos. a welsh political nationhood which transcends party, which embodies values more enduring and more important than anything that divides us. forwills important than anything that divides us. for wills to be free we must first be united. and that is what this cooperation agreement sets out to achieve. it launches us on a pathway to a united wales, one that's sooner than perhaps we think. we will find it both comfortable and natural and indeed essential to join the world community of normal, independent nations. as i said this week, on the senedd steps, they pass tomorrow at the cooperation agreement is set to start on the first day of winter. there it we will plant together the seed beneath the snow of a new society, a new wales, a new beginning. the a new agreement to quote the western males headlined "a huge step forward for wales, a new beginning. the males wales. " tomorrow let's take that wales, a new beginning. the step males huge step forward together, united, as a nation that soon will be free. wales, a new beginning. the soon 5p males wales, a new beginning. the soon will males wales, a new beginning. the soon will be males the leader addressing his party conference earlier with a virtual speech because it is being conducted wales, a new beginning. the because soon will be males wales, a new beginning. the online. ., ., ., ., ., ., because itton will be males wales, a new beginning. the online. tomorrow at their vote on whether to _ ., ., ., on will be m online. tomorrow at their vote on whether to endorse _ online. tomorrow at their vote on whether to endorse with - online. tomorrow at their vote on whether to endorse with labour. l online. tomorrow at their vote on . whether to endorse with labour. now on bbc news it's time to join wales, a new beginning. the whether to endorse with labour. now on bbc news it's time tojoin samir ahmed and newswatch. hello and welcome to newswatch with me samir ahmed. bbc ., ., ., onwillbe m migrants or just people? we discuss the use of language in reporting to those trying to cross the english channel. and is this man the president of belarus or not? it was a disaster many predicted but wednesday's news of a boat sinking in the english channel was no less shocking for that. here's the bbc�*s home editor on that evenings news at six. cold but calm seas encouraged dozens of migrants including many small children to head down the beaches of calais this morning, preparing to make the perilous journey across the channel. where are you going now? going to the uk.