tv The Travel Show BBC News August 28, 2018 3:30am-4:01am BST
3:30 am
the headlines: the us and mexico have agreed a new trade deal after a year of negotiations. it would replace the north america free trade agreement — nafta. but that treaty also included canada, and donald trump now says he's not committed to a three country agreement. canada's foreign minister is heading to washington for urgent talks. myanmar has rejected an investigation, backed by the un, which accuses its most senior military leaders of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocidal intent against rohingya muslims. myanmar‘s representative to the un called the report "one—sided". the security council will discuss the situation on tuesday. in germany, thousands of far—right demonstrators have clashed with anti—fascist protesters, in a second evening of violence in the eastern city of chemnitz. on sunday, a german man was stabbed to death. a syrian and iraqi man have been arrested. police have named a man they want to question after a mother and her daughter were stabbed to death in the west midlands. detectives want to trace
3:31 am
janbaz tarin — the former partner of the daughter. danjohnson sent this report. where is janbaz tarin? he's the 21—year—old believed to have stabbed to death his former girlfriend and her mother late last night. raneem oudeh was 22 years old. her mother, khaola saleem, was 49. their family says they are devastated by their loss. and this is where they died. a double murder investigation is now under way in this quiet suburban close. a peaceful sunday evening here was interrupted just after midnight when neighbours heard a man shouting in a foreign language, then there were screams. we heard some noises, but we thought it was animals, like a fox or something, because it is generally here that they come in the night, so we didn't even come out, but after an hour, the police have knocked on the door and asked if we have seen anything.
3:32 am
literally, i would never expect it from somewhere like this. like, i've lived here for over a year and a half now, lived in solihull for my whole life, never had anything like this happen so close to home. they'd been here for... guesswork now, six or eight years, something like that. yes. yes, they were quite an amicable family. they didn't trouble anybody, just got on with their life, same as we all do. the main focus of the crime scene investigation work is that patch of grass that's screened off there in front of the houses, but we've been told that the family actually lived here in this house. detectives are questioning people inside. we've been told there are other younger children. the family's car has also been examined. because west midlands police had previous contact with the family, the independent office for police conduct has been informed. detectives say they're working flat out to find janbaz tarin. they've warned people not to approach him and appealed
3:33 am
directly, saying he should do the right thing and contact them. danjohnson, bbc news, solihull. time now for the travel show. mauritius, a force of nature in the middle of the indian ocean. mauritius is marking the 50th year of independence from british colonial rule, but the intriguing, rich and sometimes dark story of this island nation goes back way before then. on myjourney, i'm going to explore the history of mauritius. see and taste how multiculturalism works here. mmmm, that is nice. go on a day to the races. oh, did he win?
3:34 am
did we win? and visit a unique conservation project saving endangered species. this island is so often labelled as just a luxury beach paradise, but the reality is so much more fascinating than that. mauritius — gorgeous beaches, turquoise waters and lush vegetation, but the human story is just as awe—inspiring. le morne mountain, on the south—west of the island, faces in the direction of madagascar and stands 555 metres high. it's also at a 45—degree incline. no walk in the park. for the likes of me,
3:35 am
this is a challenging climb, i've got to say. in fact, i'd say for anybody it's challenging. whoa. near the top, ijoin a guide who's done this climb up to three times a day every day pretty well for 13 years. you can feel it's all, like, volcanic. this is volcanic rock? yeah, yeah, yeah. it's probably from the first eruption 10 million years ago. 10 million years ago? yeah. and actually it's very good for climbing. yeah, there's lots of good grip. le morne marks a dark but symbolic chapter in the island's history, the days of slavery under dutch, french and british rule. this is where many escaped slaves, called the maroons, found refuge. they could have a look towards madagascar and for them... that's home.
3:36 am
that was home, you know, it was the sight and they're expecting one day maybe to build, like, a craft and go back home, just to escape from this prison. horrible. it's a world away up here from the beach resorts that populate the rest of the island, but actually, this trek is almost a pilgrimage to get to the very heart of mauritian identity. and there's a particularly poignant tale told about the maroons in what should have been their moment of celebration. when slavery was abolished here in 1835, soldiers climbed the mountain to tell the maroons that they were free, but the escaped slaves thought they were being recaptured and instead chose to jump off the mountain. why do you think this
3:37 am
is so important to the identity of people from mauritius? because i guess it's a unique story. it's part of our story here in mauritius and it's one of the only places we know of that somehow the slaves resisted their masters, and for us, it's almost like a venerated mountain, a sacred mountain, not only for the descendants of a slave but for the mauritians as well. after slavery was abolished, the british brought in hundreds of thousands of so—called indentured labourers from india and china in what was known as the great experiment. today, port louis is the country's capital, with its colonial legacy and contemporary diversity everywhere to be seen. i'm about to get a personalised,
3:38 am
unique tour of what this city and mauritius offers in terms of its diverse food and other wares as well. hi, how do you do? nice to meet you. hi. nice to meet you. so this is a food place here? yes. but you'd never know to look at it, it's pretty low—key. yes, but it's pretty famous as well. he's making some deep—fried cakes. 0k. mauritians are fond of deep—fried cakes, you can deep—fry almost everything. it's just — he has this batter that he made, it's with chickpea flour, some herbs and salt. mauritius may seem isolated in the middle of the indian ocean,
3:39 am
but it was actually nicely placed on the spice route, which linked asia, africa and europe. now he's adding all the herbs you need for the chilli bites. and the chillis. chillis. yeah. are they strong chillis? spring onions. there's a clear inference from gujarati traders, whose forefathers came over from india in the 19th century, but there's a distinctive mauritian accent to the food too. coughing whoa. coughing itjust hit me! now, this is a multi—ethnic, multicultural, multi—lingual, multi—religion country, so hinduism is the majority religion, but you've
3:40 am
also got christianity, islam, chinese religions, buddhism, it's all here. where are we now? we are in a small market which is made up of street vendors. all these people, they used to be selling everything from clothes, to food to electronic gadgets on the street, but that was illegal so the state gave them some spaces. bonjour. ca va? so this is arthur, he used to be on a street corner in chinatown selling dumplings with his father. so now he's here. chinese—mauritian? yeah, yeah. this is the long fish? yes, the long fish. that is nice, that's really good.
3:41 am
how many years have you worked here? for myself, after schooling, it's near to 50 years. the sheer diversity of food is one benefit of the cultural hotpot in mauritius. another is language, french, english and creole are all spoken here. and then, there's music. sega is a rhythm and genre indigenous to this island. and this lady is known as the voice of the indian ocean. the distinctive drum is called the ravanne, a home—grown instrument. on the tiny islet of ile aux aigrettes, mauritius is playing host to a unique conservation project, which takes us back to a time five centuries ago, before mankind ever set foot here. the ecosystem of an island like mauritius is extremely fragile, and ever since mankind arrived in the 17th century, that ecosystem has been severely
3:42 am
disrupted, and that has led to the extinction of some very important species like, for example, the dodo. the dodo lost the ability to fly through evolution because until man brought in predators, they didn't really need to. today the one remaining native mammal to mauritius, the fruit bat, can fly with elegant ease, but it's not a great favourite for some, like fruit growers. so this is the mauritius fruit bat. it is a bat which is unique to mauritius. it can travel for 15 kilometres, 20 kilometres, a0 kilometres in one night. it's like man has got hands, but these hands here have been modified, amazingly, to become a wing. it's an animal that can see very,
3:43 am
very well, despite what a lot of people think. they need to rest during the day to save their energy because it gets hot in the tropics, but at night, as it's getting dark, they leave their daytime roosts, as they are called, and they go out and they look for food. they will first of all eat fruits to keep themselves alive, but also they'll be dispersing fruits and they maintain their own survival by maintaining the forests. the larger project here is hugely ambitious and earning international acclaim. we're actually recreating the whole ecosystems. it's one of the few places on earth were we're notjust trying to save a few odd plants and a few odd animals, we're actually piecing together, as best as we can, it will never be
3:44 am
perfect, but as best as we can, the whole ecosystem as it existed prior to the arrival of man. should we be frightened of this animal, should i be frightened being this close to this animal now? well, i'm not frightened of the animal, i don't know why anybody should be. there are some countries where bats are dispersing — are carriers of diseases but in mauritius, that's not the case. of course where they are carriers of diseases, there are some precautions to be taken, of course, but that's not the case here. would you like to hold the bat? are you serious? really? oh my god. yes, it will probably nibble you a little bit if that's ok? nibble me? its claws are going to be quite sharp. you must take this. wow. i can't believe it.
3:45 am
this is weird, is all i can say. this is a magic moment. i never thought i'd actually find a bat, or an animal like this, vaguely even cute, but you know what? it is kind of cute. and luckily, not disease ridden... no. as it bites my finger. no! do you want to fly off, shall we get you to fly off? come on then. animals are central to mauritian identity in more ways than one. take this weekly ritual which has become tightly wrapped up with mauritian social life and culture — going to the races. the islands‘ independence from british rule was declared
3:46 am
on this very racecourse, the champ de mars, in 1968. built more than two centuries ago, it's the oldest racecourse in the southern hemisphere. and from the start, it's very aim was to bring disparate communities together. oh, and to satisfy the locals‘ love of gambling, of course. and today, there's one family who now dominate horseracing in mauritius. actually, it was my grandfather who introduced our family to horse racing. he was the first indian to be a member of the national assembly of parliament. and in 190a, he was a businessman.
3:47 am
at the beginning, he was a milk seller, but then he started doing business, buying land and buying and selling land and property. he also realised that buying a racehorse would allow him to mingle with the big cheeses, especially french businessmen, who ran the economy then and loved racing. today is a very special day. it's the final classic race of the season, the duke cup, and a chance for this elite family to create history in the country's national sport. what has happened is that we have been able, with a bit of luck, to win the first three classics, and if we win the fourth one today, we will be creating history. and we got a peek into the paddock to meet soun‘s cousin. this gentleman, i know him very well.
3:48 am
i often see you on the bbc all over the world! this is very much a family affair. that's the cup that we are looking for. this one here? can i touch it? anyone can touch it before, but i want to touch it after. afterwards, yes... this is fantastic. i'm getting a real insight behind—the—scenes with one of the most important men in racing. inside the jockeys‘ room, preparations are underway. down by the track, i can feel the sense of occasion here. here is where everybody gathers, rich, poor — everyone. whatever language or culture they‘re from, whichever ethnic group, this is the day, and this is the first race of the day. i wanted to get a feel for the passion for racing and gambling here,
3:49 am
and so i approached a local punter. i‘m from england, do you recommend any horce in any race? i think this one. number three, rogue runner, in this race. i‘m gonna bet. number three. but i‘m not sure. there is my horse, number three, rogue runner, and if i put 100 rupees on it, it says i‘ll get 600 rupees back. hey, can i have 100 on number three, rogue runner? a lot of money going on rogue runner. you like rogue runner? is it a good one? and this is my horse, number three, rogue runner. go for it...
3:50 am
3:51 am
and now it is time for the climax to the season — the big one, the dukes cup, and a time for the gujadhurfamily to make history. they haven‘t left much to chance, they have three out of the 12 horses running, including the favourite, enaad, ridden by the most successful champion jockey in the race. our man‘s in his lucky spot to watch the race next to his family. the favourite and their big hope ennad is struggling. it doesn‘t look good. ennad, get on, don‘t let him coax you back! until from the outside another horse from the gujadhur stable suddenly starts making ground. ready to attack is, well, ready to attack.
3:52 am
3:53 am
frankly, i don‘t get worked up before a race. i watched you during the race, you do a bit... i do a bit, but you know, the people around, and the well—wishers, the supporters, everywhere you go around the island, you know, theyjust wish you well. i wanted to win that race for them. and, in this 50th anniversary year of independence, it seems the people of this island have plenty to celebrate. during my time here, i‘ve seen a strong sense of nationhood amongst mauritians, and also realisation that precious wildlife must be protected. this is a relatively prosperous country, breaking free from its complicated and sometimes shameful colonial past. and what‘s exciting is that right now, its unique cultural identity is still evolving and making it so much more thanjust
3:54 am
a high—end holiday hotspot. hello. as high pressure builds, the end of this week looks pretty quiet weatherwise. until then, though, a couple of weather systems to affect us. this is the big picture as tuesday begins. low pressure to the north—west of us already starting to feed some rain in towards the north—west of scotland.
3:55 am
so of scotland. a chance of rain for the first half so a chance of rain for the first half of the week, but as the high pressure builds, it will be mainly dry. starting numbers for tuesday morning, double figures for many. there is your rain. north—west scotla nd there is your rain. north—west scotland into the western isles, just very slowly edging further south east as the day goes on. ahead of that sum mist and fog to begin with. then a good deal of cloud. limited bright or sunny spells. it is looking dry. we will bring some outbreaks of rain to the northern isles into north—west mainland scotland. ahead of that maybe one or two showers. some sunny spells and warmth for north—east scotland. rating into the west of northern ireland. the best of any sunny spells in the east —— rain into the west of northern ireland. some brea ks west of northern ireland. some breaks off sometime to come through.
3:56 am
maybe it is low cloud in south—west england. you could encounter some drizzle higher up. the temperatures, high teens, some parts of eastern scotla nd high teens, some parts of eastern scotland and england into low 20s. tuesday night the weather system ta kes tuesday night the weather system takes is rain south into scotland and northern ireland. another one brings the risk of showers to southern england, maybe the midlands, then wednesday morning, east anglia and south—east england. it will take awhile to clear a way on wednesday. it be quite wet as this begin. so the chance of rain to the south east, east anglia as wednesday begin, showers following behind with the weakening weather system, north of that scotland, northern ireland, wales, good sunny spells coming through, maybe it shall on the breeze into western scotland, maybe northern ireland. temperatures in the high teens, just a few into the low 20s. maybe below average. high pressure builds, settled weather for thursday and
3:57 am
friday, still a good deal of cloud, mind you, the odd isolated shower. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: a new nafta ? president trump says he‘s reached agreement with mexico over a new trade deal. it‘s been a long time, and this is something that‘s very special for our manufacturers and for ourfarmers from both countries. myanmar‘s government rejects claims of genocidal intent against its top generals in a report backed by the un. after a murder in the germany city of chemnitz, a second evening of violence. thousands of far—right demonstrators clash with anti—fascist protesters. and the threat to the american military base on diego garcia. mauritius wants the island back and it‘s winning international support.
68 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
BBC News Television Archive Television Archive News Search ServiceUploaded by TV Archive on