mexican authorities have promised that an investigation into a metro overpass collapse will be open and independent. at least 2a people were killed and almost 80 injured when a train plunged into the road below. rescue efforts are still under way. derek chauvin, the white former minneapolis police officer convicted last month of the black man george floyd's murder has requested a new trial. his legal team alleges misconduct by prosecutors and jurors and say the process was impartial because of pre—trial publicity. pressure is mounting on india's government to impose a national lockdown as the country officially records more than 20 million covid infections and as the health system struggles to cope.

now on bbc news, global questions. hello and welcome to global questions with me, zeinab badawi. the black lives matter movement triggered a bout of soul—searching all over the world as governments and citizens examined their attitudes and actions on race and diversity. it's now one year since the death of george floyd, and his killer is behind bars. so, how far have we come in the struggle for racialjustice? that's global questions — what has blm achieved? well, to bring you this edition of global questions, our two panelists and our questioners join us via video link from all corners of the world.

let me tell you who's in the hot seat this week giving the answers. opal tometi is co—founder of black lives matter, which was set up in the united states in 2013 to fight racism. an american human rights activist, she was the first woman to receive the prestigious international peace honour prize this year. and duwayne brooks is a british conservative campaigner for racial equality. he supports a recent report commissioned by the government here on ethnic disparities. this concluded that social and economic factors were more significant than race in determining unequal outcomes. welcome to you both — and remember you too can join the conversation. it's #bbcglobalquestions. we've got a lot to discuss. let's go straightaway to our first question from jamaal al—sheikh, who joins us from addis ababa in ethiopia, but his home is in melbourne, australia. jamaal, your question, please.

my question to the panelists is, how do you respond - to statements like i "all lives matter?" that's the typical response when we mention black lives matter- in australia. opal tometi, all lives matter at the end of the day, don't they? well, i certainly believe that all lives matter, and that is exactly why myself and the two other co—founders of black lives matter created black lives matter. we wanted to be very honest about what we were seeing in our society, in our communities, day in, day out. the fact that black people were being treated with disrespect, were being treated with such violence in every sphere of our lives, and we were being treated — and we are being treated — as if our lives, in fact, don't matter. and we know better than that, so we wanted to go out and create a platform and a network that allowed us to come together, to share our concerns, to amplify our voices and call the attention of the

world to join in to create a world where, one day, all lives might matter. duwayne brooks, fair point opal makes — or not? i think fair point. in answer to the question, do all lives matter? yes, they do but all of our lives are precious. no one has the right to life over anyone else. the sad fact is that in some countries around the world, the darker skinned person, black, is seen as a less of a person with fewer human rights. the systematic, clear and ill—treatment of aborigines in australia is a clear example. the media in america, as we don't really see the news feeds from australia here in the uk, during their presidential election year constantly gave us examples of incidents across the states where police officers were shooting and killing black people when not under any threat.

in those conditions, black lives do matter, and in those situations, the statement 'all lives matter' has no relevance, as all lives are not facing the same painful experiences around the world. all right, jamaal, what do you think? more or less the same answer there from opal and duwayne, but what's your take? iagree. i think all lives matter' has been used in a way that almost forces people to choose l whether it's that all lives matter. or only the black lives matter. and, to my understanding, - that's not what blm is all about. i think blm, or black lives matter, | is about highlighting the injustices| and the struggles faced by black communities around the world, i and, in fact, i firmly believe that only when black lives matter, i then all lives will matter. thank you.

ok, thanks. let's go now to singapore to carma elliott for her question. carma, what do you want to ask our two panellists? thank you, zeinab. i would to ask the panelists - how and why is black lives matter relevant to our global community, for example in southeast asia, . as we now start to see asian hate attacks? i is black lives matter a us/uk issue? duwayne brooks, how would you answer that? well, as i said, black is deemed anyone with non—white skin, but the slogan, which is a political one, does not seem to have the same relevance outside the us—uk corridor, which is a double—edged sword in my opinion. the reason i say this is because, without political activism, it has no attraction from the public, but it's the same political activism that is turning people off. there is no question that black people around the world seem to face the same sorts

of discrimination, and there is no question that a movement is required to force governments to change legislation. but unless we deal with the high percentage of black—on—black hatred, black lives matter willjust fade away and life willjust go back to how it was before the us elections. yes, but what carma's asking there is, you know, is itjust something that the us and the uk are preoccupied with? you know, how is it relevant to people in asia, where they may be more concerned about the attacks that we've seen on east asians, and the un has said that, you know, these are taking place at an "alarming rate", as it put it. but those attacks have always taken place. i suppose what blm has done has given it political... it's given it political power at this moment in time, that's what blm has done. but once this all fades away,

the attacks will continue and it'll all be ignored, as it was before blm started. all right. let's see what opal has to say. opal, what's your answer to carma? well, i really appreciate this question and i think it's an important one, and i think what we know for sure is that when black people begin these types of social movements, like we've done all throughout history, every single community that has been marginalised benefits. we see that we lift up all of our communities, so asian communities, indigenous communities, women, across the board, people who live in a multiplicity of intersections of those identities, always benefit, and that is a fact. what we know right now is that people who are struggling, no matter what their background is, where they're from, they identify with the black lives matter movement. they respect, they appreciate it, they know that ultimately, this is a human rights movement that benefits all of us.

let me ask you very quickly, opal, because on social media, we had so many people asking us if it's possible for there to be a stronger alliance between blm and stop asian hate, because we have seen some really horrific attacks on people of east asian origin in the united states because they're being blamed for covid—i9, you know, 'kung flu' and that kind of comment we've heard. you know what? white supremacy is the shared enemy that we all have, and i believe that black lives matter and folks who are part of the stop asian hate community and movement and asian—american population have already been in deep dialogue for a long time, and so it's amazing to see that there are now even more calls to show up, stand in solidarity, takejoint action — it's already under way. 0k. so, our next question comes from london, where i am, here at bbc headquarters in central london, and it's

from blessing naganji — blessing. thank you, zeinab. as much as i am not- against the black lives matter and taking the knee, it is a fact that thesei are symbols the politicians - are comfortable in selling to us. why must they keep the real l legislation and the real change that we're looking for? how do we avoid this trap . ofjust embracing a symbol, whilst the real change - doesn't really come at all? and just be happy for. a symbol that is empty? opal tometi is a co—founder of blm. are you just indulging in empty symbolism? absolutely not. i think what we know for sure is that our movements deserves substance over just mere symbolic action. and i think that is why we've evolved, even, and refined our calls to action over the years. i think people might be very familiar with, you know, blm seven years ago, and the imagery and the calls to action and the protests,

but what you'll also know, and everyone has to, i think, at this point, have heard about it, is that we've been calling for real investment in black communities. real investment injob programmes and mental health services and health care services overall. and we're calling for a divestment, right, or reallocation of funds from policing. so these are to be the substantive measures in addition to the policy measures we've been talking about from the local level to the national level, and even international as well. so, substance over symbols, for sure. ok, duwayne, is blm sometimes sidetracked by symbolism? taking a knee, some people say, and some of the other political slogans, or is it something that is leading to substantial action, as opal claims? no, far from substantial action, you know. these symbols, likewise,

pulling down statues here in the uk, they have no impact on the issues you face in your everyday life. blm was politicised in the us as a strategy to remove president trump, and then was pushed around the world by the media. but, you know, in direct answer to blessing's question, we must not allow our emotions to dictate our responses and ourconscious thinking. and our conscious thinking. we should be researching the facts, having intelligent debates and making logical decisions, so we don't follow these empty movements that are just about making money off people's misfortune. are you saying that blm is just an empty movement that's making money out of people's misfortunes? well, 100%. so, let's look at what have they... all right, just say that to opal. don't say they — you've got opal tometi, co—founder of blm, on the line next to you. so just put it directly to her, then, if that's the allegation you're making, because that's a pretty strong statement.

of course. well, opal, i look at blm as the same kind of race hustlers as al sharpton and the rest. you just fly down on people who've had misfortunes in their life or tragedies in their life, and you make money off that — that's what you're about. this whole nonsense of improving the lives of black people, well, give us some examples of where you've improved the lives of black people. where in the world? all around the world, in fact, and i think that you know that. i actually think you know that. no, i don't. it's unfortunate to hear you say that, but i also understand that there are people like you who do exist and who share those kind of sentiments, but the reality is, substantively, people's lives have changed. people have found their courage, they have gotten, if it's jobs, access to programmes, different policy changes at at the domestic local level, national levels. where? where? chicago, new york, california. where? where?

we've changed laws... give me an example. ..we've elected people into office. you've seen the squad, you know exactly what we've done here, but also in other parts of the world. and i don't think it's a small thing for people to go to the streets to take action, to call out their governments. we have to have the cultural movements — the emotions are important. the ability to know right from wrong and have a cultural understanding in order, then, to have the policy changes come next, right? so those things have to happen — you don't have one without the other. and i would argue we've seen many, many changes, both from the policy side, right in the public sector... where? she just told you. what policy changes? oh, yeah! give him an example of a policy change, then. we've also had reparations in chicago. we've seen it. there's a lot! there's a lot. well, we have no evidence of that — where's the evidence? because those are political decisions.

so, you know, where's the evidence that blm made that happen? i haven't seen any evidence of that. what's the evidence, then, opal? what evidence are you looking for? i think when you look at... there you go. there;s your answer. ..there are millions of people in the street that you want to discount, everyday people. that's really disingenuous. that's really discouraging that people... there's your answer. there's you answer. ..risked their lives and sacrifice... ok, let's call in blessing who asked the question as a kind of referee. blessing, you've heard two different points of view there. the question is not really about the sincerity of- opal and black lives matter. the question is whether she is aware and whether we are alli aware that this creates a - convenience for politicians to hide behind the symbols- that they have rightly given. you know, whilst avoiding the real questions and - the real change that we're looking for, so that is the |

real focus of my question. very quick, then. very quick response. that's an important distinction, right? who's using it. so while the other caller is mentioning and trying to point fingers at us instead of looking at the leaders of our nations or the leaders of local jurisdictions, he's looking at everyday people trying to discredit their work, that is very disappointing and disturbing. pointing the fingers in the wrong direction. duwayne, a very quick response, then. blessing says his actual question is, does blm and the symbolism and so on let politicians off the hook that they can just subscribe, perhaps, to these symbols without taking real action? well, that's probably what's happening in the states, and blm are living off that, because it's definitely not happening in the uk. all right, good. ok, thank you. right, bit of a ding—dong there — let's now go to zhejiang province in china tojintao zhu.

jintao, what's your question please? i want to ask the panelists - for their opinion about the role of civil disobedience in equal rights protest movements. l do you think it is necessary, or counterproductive, - or simply unavoidable? thanks. ok, duwayne brooks. i think the simple answer to that is, it doesn't work, and therefore is counterproductive. if you have a family business that has a history well over a hundred years, how devastated would you be seeing it on fire during a violent protest for equal rights? or for any other issue, to be fair. you know, what would make you want to support a cause that caused pain and misery on other people? that's not the way forward. you know, violent conduct during a protest is always avoidable. now, i'm not against the protests, the right to protest. i believe the right to protest or demonstrate is fundamental in any society, but to commit violence, to loot, that's not necessary and that's wrong.

opal tometi — role of civil disobedience? new york times has already reported 7% of the protests last year had any kind of, you know, property damage or anything like that, and so it's so nominal when that happens. however, what is important is that people are engaged in collective action. people are standing up for their rights, they're making their concerns known, and you cannot do that without taking some risks, without making some sacrifices and being creative in the ways that we call attention to the issues that concern us, and concerns the very lives — our livelihoods and our lives. so, i think it's incredibly important. it's something that we've seen throughout history. you know, dr martin luther king, gandhi, so many others engaged in civil disobedience — they've written books about it and talked about it over the years, and so we are following in a similar tradition. we see it around the world. it's not a big deal, but it's also

an important methodology because oftentimes, issues that we're concerned about go without redress. they don't get attention, until we muster up the courage and gather our conscience and say, "enough is enough." we're going to the streets, we're going to take some action, we're going to be creative in disrupting the status quo, because the status quo is intolerable. ok, just very quickly, duwayne, you're shaking your head. you know what, blm, the protests weren'tjust in the united states. they took place in something like 80 countries around the world, so a lot of people obviously disagree with you, duwayne. complete, utter... i can't believe what i'm hearing, that opal is saying it's ok

to be violent, it's ok to destroy people's livelihoods... did you say that? did you say it was right to be violent? she said civil disobedience. "sometimes it's ok," that's what she said. did you say that? iwas... i'm recorded on camera, and i didn't say any such thing, and so it's bizarre that... sometimes... you said sometimes there needs to be violence, that's what you said. we can play back the tape. ok, so are you saying then... ok, opal, are you saying, are you condoning... are you condoning the violence during the demonstrations across the states over the past year? i'm going to focus in on the brother's question that was asked. all right, ok. let's come back to... are you condoning the violence? it's a simple yes or no! let's come back tojintao, then, because opal is saying

that she didn't say that, but, jintao, from your perspective in china, what do you think about civil disobedience? as the ultimate goal of protest is to make real progress. - we don't want to coerce | the government to make shorthand compromises. we want them to make thoughtful or long—term reforms. _ and besides, we don't want to scare away the potential sympathisers. i we hope to unite everyone. all right, let's go now to washington, dc in the united states. your question please? l my question for the panelists is, i to what extent our law enforcement institutions and judicial _ institutions are acting systemically in their conduct as it - applies to enabling racism? ok, opal tometi, we've heard a lot about racism in the police force in the united states. a black americans is three times more likely than a white person to be killed by the police — so, your answer? you know, black communities are hyper—policed, despite the fact that, you know, if you look at, if it's drug use, certain people would like to claim, or other kind of issues, we are using or doing and engaging in different behaviours the same as our fellow counterparts, yet because we are black, because of the colour of our skin, we see that black people are highly policed — our neighbourhoods.

and we're only 14% of the population. and the fact we also see that black people are incarcerated at 40% of the prison population rate versus the fact that we're 14% of the population, once again we see the disparate impact on black people. all right. duwayne brooks? well, opal speaks about, you know, what's happening in the states. i've never lived there, i've never been policed by any of the police in the states, so i only know what the media tells me, and the media says that systemic racism exists in all those institutions that have been mentioned. but through the media we only get one side of the story, and those stories always, always trigger an emotional response from the observer, and once that happens, all rational thought processes disappear and emotion takes over. the sad thing is that, in america, you can't find an independent organisation to provide the report that would even answer this question fairly. but i live in the uk, and here in

the uk, we have 43 police forces. the met, which polices london, was found to be institutionally racist in 1999. since then, we've had the lammy report that looked into our criminaljustice system, which is similar to the judicial institutions in the states. and there was found no systemic structural or institutional racism. so basically, this question, you know... opinion will always override the facts because we can't find an independent organisation in the states to provide the facts, and here in the uk, we've already done it. all right, so what's your answer, then? is there institutional racism, systemic, systematic racism in the uk, in your opinion, in the police and judicial institutions? the met have been found to

be institutionally racist, so the answer to that is yes. in terms of the judicial system, the reports have said no, so i have to follow the evidence. all right, clear enough, there. final question from richmond, virginia in the united states. lucretia marie anderson — please, go ahead. hello. it seems like we're at a global tipping point for awareness i and action on social and racial justice, so my question is, . are we seeing positive outcomes? is there a light at - the end of the tunnel? and what are the best ways for people to move forward| in supporting these movements, | no matter their race or ethnicity? all right. duwayne brooks, what's the best way for people to move forward? be true to yourself. always question your actions. ask yourself, is what's being proposed your way forward? are you comfortable with what is being said and done by the group of people you are following? do you have the same values, the same wants? if you don't, the outcomes being promised may never be within your reach, but because you're emotionally caught—up,

you'll continually be part of a movement like blm, which only benefits those people at the top. is there light at the end of the tunnel? i believe so. are we seeing positive outcomes? i believe so. but to come back to my main thing, is be true to yourself. all right. opal tometi. what i've seen is that we are making progress, but clearly there's a lot more to go. sadly, you know, with the trial of derek chauvin, we saw that, even during that time, black people continued to be killed by police. so, you know, i believe that we have a long way to go, but it's not going to happen unless we join hands together and ensure that we have democracies that are healthy and work for all of us. lucretia marie, are you optimistic? lam. i'm starting to see that i more people are, kind of, removing this shroud of white supremacy, - or at least attempting - to have a better understanding of the realities of black and -

brown people around the world. and i think also, once we start i to recognise we need to, kind of, i heal from our own racial trauma, l we can start to empower ourselves to take that political. action and do that work of dismantling white supremacy in our own backyards. _ all right, thank you very much indeed. opal tometi, one of the co—founders of black lives matter movement and conservative activist duwayne brooks here in the uk. thank you both very much, and also to my questioners. that's for this edition of global questions. we've been discussing what has black lives matter achieved since the death of george floyd a year ago. so you heard two, kind of, different points of view, there. remember, we are the programme that brings you the trend lines behind the headlines. if you want to be part of global questions, submit a question, then e—mail us on globalquestions@bbc.co.uk. until the next time from me, zeinab badawi, and the rest of the global questions team, goodbye.

it seems like everything is running late this spring, and now the april showers have finally arrived. there's nothing like an angry sky to get the weather watchers out. there'll be more like this during wednesday. sunshine, yes, in between the showers, but catch a shower — heavy, hail and thunder and it's going to feel quite chilly as well with the air coming down from the north. around an area of low pressure which may be some distance away now, but in its way, we have this northerly flow of chilly air, unstable air with the showers developing. cold enough for them to be wintry on hills as well. temperatures well below average, but make a mental note of this — it will look quite different by the time we get to this weekend, as i'll show you in a moment.

we start wednesday with the return of frost possible in any cold rural spots, but particularly into parts of scotland and northern england, as you can see. whilst many of us will start dry and sunny, there will be scattered wintry showers in northern scotland from the word go, into northern ireland, in parts of wales, some showers, too, and across the midlands, eastern and southern england. this zone here is where we're likely to see most of the showers during wednesday. some heavy with hail and thunder. there could be some gusty winds around the showers, although overall, the winds are lighter than they've been. and temperatures, well, they're not going to rise too far. we're just looking really at highs around 8—12 degrees celsius. so, some showers will continue into wednesday evening, perhaps flaring up across parts of northeast england, for example, again wintry on hills. again, the chance of frost as the day begins.

these showers will move on south into northern ireland and northern england. there is an area of cloud and rain flirting with southern parts of england. still something to play for in how much rain will fall here, so we'll keep you updated. in between the two zones of wet or potential wet weather, there'll be some sunshine. another chilly start on friday morning, another day of sunshine and showers. the heaviest ones look to be focused across eastern parts, temperatures a little bit higher. and then, here comes some more rain. that's from another area of low pressure heading our wayjust in time for next weekend. that means the winds picking up and more rain moving in and as that clears, there'll be showers following. but the air is coming in from the south, so although it'll be windy, although it'll be wet at times, at least the temperatures will be heading up.

welcome to bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories: mexico city's mayor promises a full investigation into the rail bridge collapse, which has killed at least 2a people. translation: there will be an investigation - by the attorney—general�*s office as well as independent experts so that we can find out the whole truth and know what happened. derek chauvin, the police officer convicted of murdering george floyd, requests a retrial, alleging misconduct by both prosecutors and jurors. pressure grows for a national lockdown in india as official coronavirus cases pass 20 million. president biden sets ambitious vaccination targets, so americans can celebrate independence day.

our goal byjuly 4th is to have 70% of adult americans