:00:06. > :00:09.Hello, welcome to Midlands Today with Suzanne Virdee and Nick Owen.
:00:09. > :00:18.The headlines tonight: Eight children left orphaned. Shock
:00:18. > :00:21.at the death of a Birmingham couple on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He was an
:00:21. > :00:24.excellent example for our community in the way he dealt with his family,
:00:24. > :00:28.the way he treated his sons and daughters.
:00:28. > :00:29.He's just won a major music award but now this pop star is facing
:00:29. > :00:32.deportation for living here illegally.
:00:32. > :00:37.Cracking what will be the world's largest market. The battle to boost
:00:37. > :00:44.exports to China. And race goers at Warwick on the
:00:44. > :00:49.controversy over whipping that's splitting the sport. If the rules
:00:49. > :00:59.don't change, it spoils the race. They used the whip far too much.
:00:59. > :01:02.
:01:02. > :01:06.Good evening and welcome to Wednesday's Midlands Today from the
:01:06. > :01:11.BBC. Tonight: Tributes pour in to a couple killed
:01:11. > :01:14.in a fire on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Dawud Burbank and his wife Khalida
:01:14. > :01:18.Dost from Birmingham leave eight children. Their two eldest sons
:01:18. > :01:22.were with them at the time. The couple died when the bus they were
:01:22. > :01:25.in caught fire travelling from Jeddah airport in Saudi Arabia. Mr
:01:25. > :01:32.Burbank was a highly respected translator of Muslim religious
:01:32. > :01:35.texts as Joanne Writtle reports. A coach load of pilgrims headed off
:01:35. > :01:39.on their own spiritual journey to Mecca from Small Heath in
:01:39. > :01:47.Birmingham this afternoon. Before they set off, they gave their
:01:47. > :01:51.reaction to the deaths of Dawud Burbank and his wife Khalida Dost.
:01:51. > :01:54.I am really sad about it and I hope and pray for the best for the
:01:54. > :02:00.family. Among Dawud Burbank's closest friends, a head teacher at
:02:00. > :02:07.a school next to the Salafi Mosque in Small Heath. I saw one of his
:02:07. > :02:12.son's last night. They were very, very noble, calm, collected. I am
:02:12. > :02:17.sure inside they are being torn apart. Learned and respected, Dawud
:02:17. > :02:22.Burbank had translated many Islamic books from Arabic into English. The
:02:22. > :02:26.book store here in Birmingham has many of his translations on the
:02:26. > :02:29.shelves. The director of the local mosque and Islamic Centre told me
:02:29. > :02:31.the funerals had already taken place in Mecca. He explained that
:02:31. > :02:39.Dawud Burbank's deeply religious beliefs meant there were unlikely
:02:39. > :02:44.to be family photographs of him. is not that a person and box on a
:02:44. > :02:49.pilgrimage for dying but it is about worship. In the process, in
:02:49. > :02:53.the endeavour of performing that pilgrimage, if one is to die, that
:02:53. > :02:55.is considered a noble death. The Haj. A spiritual journey to Mecca
:02:55. > :03:02.every adult Muslim's expected to complete at least once. Dawud
:03:03. > :03:08.Burbank and his wife were with the eldest two of their eight children.
:03:08. > :03:12.Dawud Burbank converted to the Islamic faith over 20 years ago. It
:03:12. > :03:20.was on board a bus leaving the airport in Jeddah their trip ended
:03:20. > :03:22.in tragedy. Brief details of the accident came in last night. The
:03:22. > :03:28.couple were killed, apparently when a fire broke out. Other pilgrims
:03:28. > :03:35.from Birmingham scrambling to escape the flames. There were
:03:35. > :03:42.rumours it was an explosion. When I spoke to the chief in Saudi Arabia,
:03:42. > :03:48.he denied it was an explosion. He said it was an accident. The engine
:03:48. > :03:58.was overheated and it caused -- it caught fire. The couple have been
:03:58. > :04:03.
:04:03. > :04:10.buried near the Mecca. Schoolchildren give us their
:04:10. > :04:12.versions of William Shakespeare. An Indian pop singer who's just won
:04:12. > :04:15.a major music award is facing deportation for living here
:04:15. > :04:18.illegally. Garry Sandhu has been in Birmingham for 10 years and is a
:04:18. > :04:26.rising star in the Asian music industry. But he's been detained by
:04:26. > :04:28.the UK Border Agency and could made to leave the UK at any moment.
:04:28. > :04:32.Here's Bob Hockenhull. Until last week, Garry Sandhu was a
:04:32. > :04:35.singer whose star was on the rise. In October he was named Best
:04:35. > :04:45.Newcomer and Best Male Act at the Brit Asia Awards. But now he's in
:04:45. > :04:55.
:04:55. > :04:58.the custody of the UK Border Agency. Mr Sandhu has been living in
:04:58. > :05:05.Handsworth in Birmingham for 10 years. This councillor from
:05:05. > :05:10.Coventry wanted to book him for a concert in the city next year.
:05:10. > :05:16.what I understand is that he has outstayed his welcome on a visa. I
:05:16. > :05:18.think thousands of Britons up and down this country have welcomed
:05:18. > :05:20.Garry Sandhu to their hearts and homes as well. His fans include
:05:20. > :05:23.this 17-year-old musician from Edgbaston. He recently recorded a
:05:23. > :05:30.video with Mr Sandhu and was shocked to find out he's been
:05:30. > :05:36.detained. I just thought there were rumours on the internet and
:05:36. > :05:42.children shouting, just making up stuff. I am sure he would be back
:05:43. > :05:46.doing what he loves, and his fans would be backing him 100%. But this
:05:46. > :05:50.barrister specialising in immigration says the law is clear.
:05:50. > :05:54.If you what the subject of that decision, it is important for you
:05:54. > :05:58.to leave the country voluntarily rather than be deported because
:05:58. > :06:04.should to be deported, then you will be banned from coming back
:06:04. > :06:06.into the country for 10 years. Sandhu says he's the victim of
:06:07. > :06:09.false accusations. Rumours have been flying around the internet
:06:09. > :06:15.claiming he's been released. But the Home Office insists he's still
:06:15. > :06:18.in custody. 1,500 jobs could go at Sandwell
:06:18. > :06:22.Council over the next four years, as it tries to cut its budget by
:06:22. > :06:26.�70 million. Around 500 staff have already been made redundant this
:06:26. > :06:30.year. It's now expected that a further thousand could go at the
:06:30. > :06:33.Labour-run council. A woman's been charged with failing
:06:33. > :06:36.to disclose information under the Terrorism Act. 22-year-old Salma
:06:36. > :06:39.Kabal from Birmingham was arrested in September as part of an
:06:39. > :06:42.operation by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit. She'll
:06:42. > :06:52.appear in court later this month. Seven men have already been charged
:06:52. > :06:56.in connection with the investigation. The Government will
:06:56. > :07:00.ignore Labour's idea of an alternative route for the multi-
:07:00. > :07:04.million pound higher speeds to project. Labour suggested a writ
:07:04. > :07:07.including Heathrow Airport and would run in parts alongside the
:07:07. > :07:11.M40 through Warwickshire. This afternoon, Transport Minister
:07:11. > :07:14.Theresa Villiers accused the Labour Party of game-playing safe their
:07:14. > :07:17.proposal had come too late to be considered.
:07:17. > :07:20.Some analysts believe China will overtake the USA as the world's
:07:20. > :07:23.largest economy as early as 2016, which explains the increasing
:07:23. > :07:26.urgency to break into Chinese markets. As a country, we export
:07:26. > :07:36.more to Spain than China and our exports to the Irish Republic are
:07:36. > :07:42.
:07:42. > :07:45.double those to the world's most populous country. We report how we
:07:45. > :07:49.are responding to the challenge. Good result this to the Chinese?
:07:49. > :07:55.This firm in Kidderminster is breaking into the lucrative Chinese
:07:55. > :07:59.recycling market. They recycle 100,000 tonnes of material a year.
:07:59. > :08:04.They already export us more about that to China but they hoped to
:08:04. > :08:07.send a lot more. The plastic waste is bailed up at Lawrence for
:08:07. > :08:12.cycling. It is shipped to China where they turn it into plastic
:08:12. > :08:16.granules to make new products. have got a huge manufacturing base
:08:16. > :08:20.so they need the raw products we recycle to be manufactured back
:08:20. > :08:26.into products we will buy back in the UK. It is a closed loop in
:08:26. > :08:29.reciting. How about electronics? A bit like selling coals to
:08:29. > :08:33.Newcastle? They are doing it here at this company, where they make
:08:33. > :08:40.specialist part, shrink equipment. 10 years ago, China account of the
:08:40. > :08:44.2% of their sales. Today, it is 20%. 10 years ago, America was clearly
:08:44. > :08:49.the Raj just growth market for us and we were market leaders there. -
:08:49. > :08:53.- clearly the largest growth market. The shift has gone to China. That
:08:53. > :08:57.is the single most important market. Gathering in Worcester for a
:08:57. > :09:03.conference this evening to promote trade with China, business leaders
:09:03. > :09:10.and a representative of the Chinese embassy. I think there are a lot of
:09:11. > :09:17.chances for people in Worcester that may go to China to do some
:09:17. > :09:21.business. There is a lot of chance. We have got quite a unique event
:09:21. > :09:26.tonight in that this because we have got will provide both a
:09:26. > :09:29.Chinese perspective and a UK business perspective. That is in
:09:29. > :09:34.terms of how we overcome some of the barriers to trade successfully
:09:34. > :09:37.with China. The message to firms it is clear. The prospect of China
:09:37. > :09:47.becoming the world's biggest economy is a business opportunity
:09:47. > :09:49.
:09:49. > :09:56.not to be wasted. It is fair to say our exports are warped by imports.
:09:56. > :10:01.So there must be real scope to do something, isn't there? Yes. 2015,
:10:01. > :10:06.at the estimated 15 cities in China will have populations of more than
:10:06. > :10:10.25 million. London only has 7 million. Growth in exports from the
:10:10. > :10:15.UK to China is currently 40% although it comes from a very low
:10:16. > :10:19.base. UK exports to China are worth �8 billion, and, of course, the
:10:20. > :10:23.West Midlands is getting go at share. Yes, those figures are
:10:23. > :10:28.frightening. In addition to those companies in the report, what other
:10:28. > :10:32.companies are doing well? Jaguar Land Rover with 15% of everything
:10:32. > :10:37.that has made in West Midlands plants goes to China, and that
:10:37. > :10:40.number is rising fast which is why the company wants a factory there.
:10:40. > :10:44.It is in detailed talks with a Chinese car manufacturer although
:10:45. > :10:48.they will be not be making that many cars. JCB is the other firm
:10:48. > :10:53.dibbing well. They have already got up factory in Trina, five years ago
:10:53. > :10:56.they built it. They are doing very well. What are the Chinese
:10:56. > :11:01.consumers looking for? What do we need to offer them? What reporters
:11:01. > :11:05.bought in China is made in China, but they do like high-value
:11:05. > :11:10.products like fashion items, premium products, like Jaguar Land
:11:10. > :11:14.Rover products, and, of course, especially the loot of products. We
:11:14. > :11:18.are also exporting expertise. A good example is at Longbridge, the
:11:18. > :11:24.old car factory, where the trainees have set up a design centre. There
:11:24. > :11:34.is a similar one in Leamington. They're working with a variety of
:11:34. > :11:41.Chinese firms. Andy Newman reports now on how companies in
:11:41. > :11:44.Worcestershire are responding to the challenge.
:11:44. > :11:47.It's exactly a year since the public inquiry began into standards
:11:47. > :11:50.of care at Stafford Hospital. Now a series of roadshows are touring the
:11:50. > :11:52.country to try to ensure the failings don't happen again. Today
:11:52. > :11:56.the roadshow reached Stafford. Our Staffordshire reporter Liz Copper
:11:56. > :11:58.looks at the impact the inquiry's had and what the future might hold
:11:58. > :12:01.for the town's hospital. What happened here ensured the
:12:01. > :12:03.county town of Stafford became the focus of national attention. The
:12:03. > :12:06.failings at its hospital still preoccupy families who live here.
:12:06. > :12:09.We depend on the local hospital. It is somewhere we go to drink most of
:12:09. > :12:13.our lives so we want an efficient place. I am going into hospital for
:12:13. > :12:18.not a serious operation in the next week, and I am not going into
:12:18. > :12:24.Stafford. I don't feel... They have convinced me they've got it right
:12:24. > :12:27.yet. I feel, you know, get it resolved and then move on. But what
:12:27. > :12:30.will the future be as the hospital and its staff do move on? It's
:12:30. > :12:36.likely it'll be smaller and there'll be fewer beds. It's all
:12:37. > :12:41.part of the Government's plans for changes in the NHS as a whole.
:12:41. > :12:45.need to understand the size that Staffords needs to be. We need to
:12:45. > :12:48.really put some investment and some time and effort into building the
:12:48. > :12:56.community of the structure, so, some of the people that currently
:12:56. > :13:03.work in Stafford may well be working in the community. The A&E
:13:03. > :13:07.department is also under scrutiny. The inquiry has already heard
:13:07. > :13:11.evidence of what went wrong in the past. Now it's because his vocation
:13:11. > :13:16.-- is shifting to the future. Trammel is canvassing the views of
:13:16. > :13:18.those working inside and outside the NHS. Could the world of
:13:18. > :13:24.retailing help reshape the NHS? The John Lewis Partnership appeared
:13:24. > :13:28.before the inquiry advising on, amongst other things, customer care.
:13:28. > :13:34.We talked to other organisations out of prison sector to look for
:13:34. > :13:38.new ideas, new stimulus as to how we can translate back into our
:13:38. > :13:42.world in retail and see if we can create new solutions to great
:13:42. > :13:47.service. So I am an advocate of doing that in our world, so I hope
:13:47. > :13:50.I will be able to support the inquiry in this same way. It'll be
:13:50. > :13:52.next year before the people of Stafford learn the inquiry's
:13:52. > :13:55.recommendations. But they will have repercussions for the entire health
:13:55. > :13:57.service. Still much more to come in
:13:57. > :14:00.tonight's programme, including the ex-soldier facing his toughest
:14:00. > :14:05.challenge - skiing to the North Pole and then doing the same at the
:14:05. > :14:09.South Pole. But no Arctic snow or temperatures here. Quite the
:14:09. > :14:19.opposite. It's mild, it's windy and be warned, there's more heavy rain
:14:19. > :14:21.
:14:21. > :14:24.It's the largest youth drama festivals in the UK, introducing
:14:24. > :14:28.thousands of young people to our greatest writer and Warwickshire's
:14:28. > :14:30.most famous son, William Shakespeare. This week,
:14:30. > :14:34.schoolchildren from across the region have been performing their
:14:34. > :14:44.own interpretations of his works at Birmingham's Old Rep Theatre.
:14:44. > :14:46.Here's our Arts Reporter Satnam Rana. Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art
:14:46. > :14:48.thou Romeo? Final rehearsals for the
:14:48. > :14:55.Shakespeare Schools Festival ahead of tonight's performance of Romeo
:14:55. > :15:02.and Juliet for students at Birmingham's Stockland Green School.
:15:02. > :15:07.We had got children -- teachers to help us, to modernise it. Yes, it
:15:07. > :15:10.was hard at first, but I went over the lines, and watched Romeo and
:15:10. > :15:13.Juliet and I came to terms with his language. The student have been
:15:13. > :15:16.treading the boards since January and all this week The Old Rep
:15:16. > :15:22.Theatre in Birmingham will have four performances per night open to
:15:22. > :15:29.the public. These are not the only young people taking part in this
:15:29. > :15:33.year's festival. Across the region, 40 schools have taken to the stage,
:15:33. > :15:36.with over 1,200 schoolchildren performing the Bard's words. From
:15:36. > :15:39.Warwickshire to Worcestershire, Herefordshire to Shropshire and
:15:39. > :15:43.here in the West Midlands, professional theatres have been
:15:43. > :15:45.hosting condensed versions of Shakespeare's famous plays. For
:15:45. > :15:51.students taking part in the Shakespeare School Festival, it's
:15:51. > :15:53.been both a challenge and a triumph. This is a chance for them to grasp
:15:53. > :16:03.their cultural heritage and understand something they don't
:16:03. > :16:07.often get a chance to engage with in a school curriculum. Here, with
:16:07. > :16:10.a kiss, I die. This festival proves that Shakespeare isn't just a
:16:10. > :16:19.playwright of the past but one who appeals to present generations with
:16:19. > :16:24.their own take on how to act out his words.
:16:24. > :16:26.Time for a winter's tale. The sport. That gag was much ado about
:16:26. > :16:31.nothing! Coventry City fans are feeling
:16:31. > :16:33.pretty unhappy right now. Some of them staged a protest outside the
:16:33. > :16:36.London headquarters of the club's owners before last night's game
:16:36. > :16:39.against Millwall. After the match, the Sky Blues manager Andy Thorn
:16:39. > :16:42.said he's sick of hearing excuses from the players as the club
:16:42. > :16:45.plunged deeper into relegation trouble. Coventry were beaten 3-0.
:16:45. > :16:51.And they're now four points adrift of safety near the foot of the
:16:51. > :16:55.Championship table. Thorn described their second half performance as
:16:55. > :16:58.unacceptable and amateurish. The Birmingham City manager Chris
:16:58. > :17:01.Hughton says the board is keeping him fully informed about the club's
:17:01. > :17:04.financial pressures. The parent company has delayed publication of
:17:04. > :17:09.its annual reports but investors are being warned about a
:17:09. > :17:12.substantial loss last year. Blues are preparing for tomorrow night's
:17:12. > :17:20.Europa League tie against Bruges at St Andrews and the manager says
:17:20. > :17:28.it's not a distraction. Because there are so many games,
:17:28. > :17:32.your concentration has to be a mark. -- has to be on that. Things out of
:17:32. > :17:36.prison control or away from the football pitch, you cannot concern
:17:36. > :17:41.yourself so much because there is a big enough job going on on the
:17:41. > :17:47.football pitch and dealing with these games. You can hear the match
:17:47. > :17:51.commentary on BBC WM tomorrow evening. A couple of hours earlier,
:17:51. > :17:54.step's trip to Tel Aviv is also live on BBC Stoke.
:17:54. > :17:57.Now, the new jump season got underway at Warwick Racecourse this
:17:57. > :18:00.afternoon. But there's a big row between the jockeys, and the
:18:00. > :18:04.sport's governing body. It's all to do with new rules governing the use
:18:04. > :18:08.of the whip. Jump racing fans have waited all
:18:08. > :18:12.summer to enjoy this Wednesday at Warwick. The first meeting of the
:18:12. > :18:15.season. Seven races over hurdles and fences. 50 horses of mixed
:18:15. > :18:19.ability. And none of them expecting to receive more than eight strokes
:18:19. > :18:27.of the whip. If they get one over the eight, their jockeys are
:18:27. > :18:31.guaranteed a five day ban. The jockeys believe the new rules are
:18:31. > :18:35.too strict and the penalties to severe. They are angry and
:18:35. > :18:40.threatened to strike if they cannot reach a compromise with the British
:18:40. > :18:44.resourcing -- British Horseracing Association. Andrew Thornton is one
:18:44. > :18:47.of many top jockeys who are furious. He believes 8 strokes per race is
:18:47. > :18:49.not enough. He says jockeys are being punished too harshly for
:18:49. > :18:52.accidentally miscounting. And in any case, Andrew tells me, the
:18:52. > :18:59.current whips covered in foam don't hurt the horses, they just sting to
:18:59. > :19:03.keep them focused on the job in hand. You can do that. It is a
:19:04. > :19:08.sting, but as you can see, it doesn't mark. We have loved horses
:19:08. > :19:14.all our lives. We don't want to beat forces. That is not our
:19:14. > :19:21.passion. It is to run -- it is to win races, make it a competitive
:19:21. > :19:24.sport and for everybody to endure it. -- and for everybody to enjoy.
:19:24. > :19:26.In a statement, the BHA said the situation is best served by
:19:26. > :19:30.maintaining dialogue behind closed doors rather than playing the whole
:19:30. > :19:32.thing out in the media. But today's punters at Warwick had plenty of
:19:32. > :19:35.opinions. I think the jockeys are run a very difficult situation. If
:19:35. > :19:40.they use the whip, they will be accused of cruelty that don't know
:19:40. > :19:44.any better. If they don't use it, they will be accused of not trying.
:19:44. > :19:47.The jockeys are threatened strike action. It would be bad for racing
:19:47. > :19:50.if they do. Andrew Thornton rode two winners at Warwick this
:19:50. > :19:53.afternoon, and used his whip sparingly. Well within the rules.
:19:53. > :19:55.He says all his fellow jockeys are hoping to resolve their dispute
:19:55. > :20:00.with horse racing bosses by dialogue, without the need to
:20:00. > :20:09.strike. Ian, this subject's sparked quite a
:20:09. > :20:11.reaction. We have some e-mails from you. Ian Rubery says: "From now on,
:20:12. > :20:14.whips should be used for safety purposes only, e.g. Steering." He
:20:14. > :20:17.goes onto say, "Misuse of the whip should result in outright
:20:17. > :20:19.disqualification." Johnnie Walker says, "No, whips do not have a
:20:19. > :20:22.place in horse racing today. Greyhounds, racing pigeons and also
:20:22. > :20:26.for that matter Formula 1 seem to excite people enough without any
:20:26. > :20:30.cruelty." Amy Louise Swatman says, "The whip should be banned in horse
:20:30. > :20:33.racing. The poor horses are already running as fast as they can and do
:20:33. > :20:37.not deserve to be beaten for their efforts!!" It seems the majority of
:20:37. > :20:43.people who've emailed want an outright ban. That's not even on
:20:43. > :20:46.the cards, is it? No. It is not an option and it
:20:46. > :20:49.would create a bigger outcry amongst the jockeys if it were to
:20:49. > :20:54.come into force because the jockeys are adamant they believe the whip
:20:54. > :21:01.is a vital safety tool to keep the balls on the straight and narrow in
:21:01. > :21:04.the heat of a race to make sure it is safe -- to keep the horse. It is
:21:04. > :21:07.a very heated debate added his son to -- it is going to run a little
:21:07. > :21:09.bit longer. We will have more on it tomorrow.
:21:09. > :21:14.Now to one man's incredible challenge. Skiing across the South
:21:14. > :21:17.Pole and then the North Pole, alone and without back-up. To date, no-
:21:17. > :21:21.one's ever achieved it. Next week, though, Coventry explorer Mark Wood
:21:21. > :21:31.will set off on the first leg of an epic journey, as Sarah Falkland
:21:31. > :21:33.
:21:33. > :21:36.We are heading to our first bit of ice trouble.
:21:36. > :21:42.With 25 expeditions already under his belt, Mark Wood is used to
:21:42. > :21:44.inhospitable places. But nothing as bad as this. The South Pole, the
:21:44. > :21:54.coldest place on the planet, where average temperatures are around
:21:54. > :21:55.
:21:55. > :21:58.minus 50 Celsius. It is the North- South solo expedition... The former
:21:58. > :22:02.soldier and firefighter is going to ski the 680 miles across it. Then,
:22:02. > :22:07.within a few weeks, tackle the 700 miles of ice across the North Pole.
:22:07. > :22:10.The added interest is polar bears. Large icebergs. There'll be the
:22:10. > :22:17.usual dangers but the extreme solitude and tiredness could be his
:22:17. > :22:21.worst enemies. My biggest fear as a solo expedition is finding a wrist
:22:21. > :22:28.-- a reason to give him, to have that moment where it is... I have
:22:28. > :22:32.been on my own, I find it really tough. The trip to actually being
:22:32. > :22:37.alone and travelling so far is to create things in your mind, if you
:22:37. > :22:42.like. I will be thinking about home, about redecorating the house, about
:22:42. > :22:45.the next expedition. About how I am going to change my life when I get
:22:45. > :22:50.back, how I am going to make a difference. All these wonderful
:22:50. > :22:53.things. You think about everything. You create a whole Disney World in
:22:53. > :22:55.your head. Personal ambition aside, his big motivations are
:22:55. > :22:58.highlighting climate change and educating young people. His epic
:22:58. > :23:01.journey will be followed by schools across the Midlands, including
:23:01. > :23:10.youngsters at his old school Finham Park in Coventry, who'll be Skyping
:23:10. > :23:14.with him. If he can do this, he will be famous. It is a main job.
:23:14. > :23:18.Mike in expedition history. It is really, really gonna be good.
:23:19. > :23:22.would never do it because it is scary. If he's to survive, Mark
:23:22. > :23:32.will have to drag more than his body weight in food. He leaves for
:23:32. > :23:35.South America and the South Pole Incredible, isn't it?
:23:35. > :23:37.And to see more of the sort of hostile territory that Mark will be
:23:38. > :23:47.facing, why not take a look at David Attenborough's stunning
:23:47. > :23:55.It's on BBC One at 9 pm tonight. It is sensational.
:23:55. > :23:59.We have got quite mild weather, haven't we?
:23:59. > :24:02.Yes, the cloud and rain are stacking up, poised to come through.
:24:02. > :24:06.It is being generated by this rather intense area of low pressure
:24:07. > :24:11.currently to the West and sitting out of the Atlantic. As well as the
:24:11. > :24:16.rain, we will have stronger winds, and also milder air. That changes
:24:16. > :24:21.by the weekend. The first batch of rain comes through tonight. It is
:24:21. > :24:24.going to be mild. We have got some dribs and drabs across us but it
:24:24. > :24:28.starts to pick up and beef up through the middle part of the
:24:28. > :24:33.night into the small hours of tomorrow morning. You can see some
:24:33. > :24:37.bright colours developing in the central part. The Met Office has
:24:37. > :24:43.issued a yellow alert for up to 12 mm out of the some of the biggest
:24:43. > :24:47.bursts. The temperatures, a mild night. It is still quite breezy as
:24:47. > :24:50.the rain comes the rain. It is quite gusty through the day
:24:51. > :24:55.tomorrow although the rain dies away by the morning, and leaving us
:24:55. > :24:59.with a brief dry period with quite a lot of cloud tomorrow. The next
:24:59. > :25:02.area of rain spills up from the South during the latter part of the
:25:02. > :25:06.day which is going to be fairly light initially. It is through
:25:06. > :25:13.tomorrow evening and tomorrow night that it turns heavier. Tomorrow is
:25:13. > :25:18.a mild day with highs of 16. That is above average. Tomorrow evening,
:25:18. > :25:23.this rain becomes heavier. There is a yellow alert issued from the Met
:25:23. > :25:26.Office. It clears up, quite a mild night. Friday morning, some
:25:26. > :25:33.sunshine, followed by some heavy showers.
:25:33. > :25:43.A look at tonight's main headlines: Tributes have been paid to a couple
:25:43. > :25:43.
:25:44. > :25:46.who died on a pilgrimage to Mecca. And more on that story about the
:25:47. > :25:49.deaths of a couple from Birmingham on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Our
:25:49. > :25:54.reporter Giles Latcham is with a travel agent in Birmingham who
:25:54. > :26:00.organises similar visits. Giles. They have sent about 350 people to
:26:00. > :26:07.make it. This isn't the first incident, as it? There was another
:26:07. > :26:14.one before. Another bus was coming to Mecca. That caught fire as well.
:26:14. > :26:19.I believe two people died, which is on the website. You have been there
:26:19. > :26:26.personally. What would you say to people having second thoughts? What
:26:26. > :26:32.is safety like? Well, actually, the Saudi government, they tried to do
:26:32. > :26:35.their best to control the things, but when there are approximately 3
:26:35. > :26:40.million people, these types of things, these unpredictable things
:26:40. > :26:45.do happen. It is a very wealthy kingdom, we are entitled to expect
:26:45. > :26:50.high standards of safety, aren't we? They are trying their level
:26:50. > :26:55.best and investing money to improve things. So I have seen a lot of
:26:55. > :27:00.changes. I went this year and last year as well, so I have seen a lot
:27:00. > :27:05.of things improved. Thank you very much for talking to us. This is a
:27:05. > :27:09.community in mourning for the loss of Dawud Burbank and his wife. The
:27:09. > :27:14.investigation into what happened continues. We have heard in the --
:27:14. > :27:20.we have heard that temperatures reached 44 sources in Saudi Arabia
:27:20. > :27:25.yesterday and the engine overheated. A very sad note on which to close
:27:25. > :27:28.the programme. Tomorrow, we will find out which of our region's
:27:28. > :27:33.politicians might be made redundant as the government moves to cut the
:27:33. > :27:36.number of MPs at Westminster. We will be meeting the 15-year-old