go. ready britain. here we go. the saudis can warm up for the world cup by having a kickabout with some severed heads. next. >> good evening. i'm will hollis with your top story at 9:00. the government will not change the terrorist status of the rebels who toppled the syrian regime. according to the defence secretary. speaking after an emergency cobra meeting, john healey said the government is laser focused on stopping a resurgence of terror groups like isis in the middle east. but he says now is not the time to consider removing hayat tahrir al—sham from the proscribed terror list. >> description is not a matter

for now. it doesn't stop us talking to all the parties , and talking to all the parties, and our interest in hds is that they live up to their promises to protect the rights of all individuals and all groups, to respect international law, and to prevent syria becoming a base for fresh terrorist threats. >> a body has been found in the search for former england rugby player tom voyce, who went missing five days ago. it's feared the 43 year old was swept away while trying to cross a flooded river on saturday night dunng flooded river on saturday night during storm darrah. it's believed mr voice had entered the river anne near alnwick, after attempting to cross a ford in his car. northumbria police's marine unit discovered a body earlier today, describing the development as extremely sad. in other news, the government demands immediate mandatory housing targets from councils as

part of plans to build 1.5 million houses by the next general election. sir keir starmer is vowing to override blockers and put builders first as he prepares to unveil sweeping changes to the planning process. it could mean more developments on the green belt, though the government has pledged to prioritise brownfield sites. a man who tried to set fire to a hotel housing asylum seekers has been jailed for nine years. the joint longest prison sentence in connection with the uk's summer of riots. levi fishlock smashed windows and stoked a flaming bin at the houdayinn stoked a flaming bin at the holiday inn express in rotherham dunng holiday inn express in rotherham during a spate of disorder on the 4th of august. the 31 year old initially denied violent disorder and arson with intent to endanger life, but later pleaded guilty to the charges. fishlock sentence includes a five year licence period after

he's released from jail. and your last story for now. comedian duncan norvelle has died aged 66. hailed as one of the last legends of true variety comedy, the entertainer known for his catchphrase chase me. died in hospital surrounded by his loved ones. those are your top stories for now. but now it's back to patrick for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code or go to gbnews.com/alerts. >> good evening. the attempt to sportswash radical sharia regimes continues. saudi arabia will be the latest middle eastern hellhole to host the world cup. >> there's a great pleasure that

i can confirm that the host of the fifa world cup 2034 will be saudi arabia. >> so fifa has faced allegations of corruption in the past. qatar and russia got the world cups recently, didn't they? but at least they had to go through a message on their mobile phones whenever a womag0|nder their bidding process. this time, fifa message on their mobile phones whenever a womago througheir least they had to go through a bidding process. this time, fifa managed to find a way of managed to find a way of seemingly removing that seemingly removing that obstacle. the saudis won it obstacle. the saudis won it unopposed and i, for one, just unopposed and i, for one, just are perplexed as to how that are perplexed as to how that could have happened. but the could have happened. but the head of fifa, this fruit loop head of fifa, this fruit loop called gianni infantino, who called gianni infantino, who gave this weird conference gave this weird conference before the qatar tournament before the qatar tournament today , i feel arab. today , i feel arab. today, i feel arab. >> today i feel african. today i today, i feel arab. >> today i feel african. today i feel gay. today i feel disabled. feel gay. today i feel disabled.

>> right then. anyway, he has >> right then. anyway, he has said that he hopes saudi arabia said that he hopes saudi arabia will address human rights will address human rights concerns. well, we have a little concerns. well, we have a little look at some of those concerns. look at some of those concerns. saudi arabia is the only saudi arabia is the only recognised country in the world recognised country in the world to still use decapitation as a to still use decapitation as a method of execution. presumably, method of execution. presumably, the saudi football team can warm the saudi football team can warm up for their matches by having a up for their matches by having a kickabout with some recently kickabout with some recently severed heads. it has executed severed heads. it has executed more than 100 foreigners since more than 100 foreigners since 2024. that's nearly triple the 2024. that's nearly triple the previous two years. apparently, previous two years. apparently, their total executions so far their total executions so far this year are 274, the highest this year are 274, the highest figure in more than 30 years. figure in more than 30 years. they are accused of torturing they are accused of torturing people into giving confessions. people into giving confessions. it's only as recently as 2019 it's only as recently as 2019 that women were allowed to that women were allowed to travel abroad, register for travel abroad, register for divorce or marriage, and apply divorce or marriage, and apply for official documents without for official documents without the permission of a male the permission of a male guardian. saudi arabian men guardian. saudi arabian men apparently receive a text apparently receive a text message on their mobile phones message on their mobile phones

whenever a woman under their whenever a woman under their custody leaves the country, even if she is travelling with her guardian. in 2008, a man reportedly married off his eight year old daughter to a 47 year old bloke in order to pay off his debts. women and children often live in forced marriages. gay people are imprisoned and sentenced to hundreds of lashes. a man caught using twitter to

——* idiots a man caught using twitter to 77’ idiots on the all those idiots cheering on the saudi world cup. well well done because you're giving legitimacy to a radical sharia ideology that would probably not blink twice if it had the chance to wipe you off the face of the earth. let's go to my panel this evening. we've got political consultant suzanne evans. we we also have political commentator consultant suzanne evans. we also have political commentator charlie downs, the former labour charlie downs, the former labour party adviser matthew laza party adviser matthew laza suzanne. it does seem a little bit odd that saudi arabia gets charlie downs, the former labour paroddiviser matthew laza charlie downs, the former labour parodd thatr matthew laza charlie downs, the former labour parodd that saudi 1ew laza charlie downs, the former labour parodd that saudi arabiaza charlie downs, the former labour parodd that saudi arabia gets the world cup. where are the bit odd that saudi arabia gets the world cup. likes of gary lineker on this? >> gary lineker is never to be seen when there's something to really talk about that's of actual genuine human rights importance, is there? it's not a surprise, patrick, that fifa has given the world cup to saudi arabia, as you said in your monologue just now, russia in 2018, qatar in 2022. the fact is, fifa has no moral compass whatsoever. it's completely bereft of any ethics on this kind of thing at all. and why? well, i'm sure the fact that aramco, the saudi arabian oil company, gives fifa £100 million a year in sponsorship has

absolutely nothing to do at all, nothing at all. >> and we couldn't possibly draw a link with that. absolutely not. and we and we wouldn't want to be seen to be doing so. it's vitally important to say that your views on whether or not there is a wider point here, which is that this provides legitimacy to regimes like this that are accused of sponsoring terrorism and definitely do chop people's heads off. >> well, it's always interesting, isn't it, when a, you know, a non—western, authoritarian regime kind of meets the liberal press in our kind of sphere because we are, you know, very, i think, closed off to this part of the world for the most part, because, you know, we use these phrases like human rights abuses and this sort of thing, and i wouldn't want to live in saudi arabia. personally, i don't think it seems like a very nice country to live in. but with that being said, i mean, the term human rights has completely lost all meaning because it's under the under the brand of human rights that illegal migrants are allowed to stay in this country and get up to. you know, we know not we know not what. and so, you know, this, this framing of this being about human rights, i kind of struggle with because there are reasons to criticise

regimes like saudi arabia. but