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tv   The Context  BBC News  May 27, 2024 8:30pm-9:01pm BST

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hello, i'm christian fraser. you're watching the context on bbc news. president zelensky receives a royal welcome in spain and signs an agreement which promises ukrainei billion euros worth of military aid. before we get to that, we will take a short pause and get an update on the sport. here's marc edwards. rafael nadal is out of the french open losing in the first round in what could prove to be 37—year—old's last match at roland garros. the king of clay, with a record 1a titles there, going down fighting against alexander zverev in a three—hour battle under the roof on court philippe chatrier, but nadal eventually falling short, losing in straight sets 6—3, 7—6, 6—3, zverev becoming just the third man after robin soderling
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and novak djokovic to defeat the spaniard in paris. and while the 4th seed heads to the second round, the journey is over for nadal. maybe in a few months i can say is enough. but it is something i cannot say yet. i have some goals left. i'm to be back on this court for this that motivates me. for olympics that motivates me. elsewhere at the tournament, british number one cameron norrie has been knocked out in the first round beaten in a five—set marathon by russian world number 56 pavel kotov. kotov dominated the 32nd seed in the deciding set taking it 6—2, picking up just his second victory in a grand slam. it's worth noting that's it's the first time norrie has lost in the opening round of a major since the 2022 australian open. for kotov, though, he'll
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take on 2015 champion stan wawrinka in the next round. world number one and defending champion iga swiatek looked really strong as she eased into round two. she needed little over an hour to beat leolia jeanjean, losing just three games on the way. swiatek is bidding for a fourth title in five years. next up for her is the four—time grand slam champion naomi osaka. you know, for sure, with the closed roof it was defending on practices, i needed some time to adjust especially with the task was very tricky. but overall i think, you know, it was a reasonable match. and i'm happy, you know, to be back and place some matches here. top seed novak djokovic gets his french open campaign under way on tuesday against frenchman pierre—hugues herbert. incredibly, the 24—time grand slam winner has yet to reach a final in 202a. i almost feel a bit embarrassed to say what my expectations are for the
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anything but a title for me is not satisfactory. it always has been like that. i know it might sound arrogant to a lot of people but i think i have the career that backs it up. in a way me playing still at this highest level, one of the major reasons is to try to write more history with the sport and win the biggest titles. paris is definitely one of them. chelsea are in talks to appoint leicester city manager enzo maresca as the replacement for mauricio pochettino who left the london club last week. maresca took charge of leicester injune last year and led them to the championship title at the first attempt. he'd previously been pep guardiola's assistant at manchester city and bbc sport understands leicester would be
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seeking between £8m to £10m in compensation for the italian. and unai emery has agreed a new five—year contract with aston villa. he guided them to fourth place in the premier league this season, qualifying for top—level european football for the first time in over a0 years. to cricket and england's one—day captain jos buttler will almost certainly miss the third t20 against pakistan having left the squad in cardiff for the birth of his third child. the timing means it's now likely he'll be available for the whole of the t20 world cup, which starts on sunday. in buttler�*s absence, moeen ali will captain the side with willjacks likely to open the batting. and that's all the sport for now. back to you, christian. thank you very much. the pictures that came in overnight from gaza are horrifying. the hamas—run health ministry says 45 people were killed in the air strike in the tal al sultan area of north—west rafah but dozens of others are thought to have been injured. the area was packed with civilians, many of them living
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in improvised shelters. the air strike caused a huge fire that burned for hours. the israeli military said it had targeted and killed yassin rabia, who it describes as head of hamas operations in the west bank. rabia was one of the prisoners released from israeli jails and transferred to gaza in the deal that saw the captured israeli soldier gilad shalit released in 2011. the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu has responded. here's what he had to say a short while ago. translation: and rafah, - we already evacuated about1 million uninvolved residents, and despite our best efforts not to harm the uninvolved, a tragic incident unfortunately happened yesterday. we are investigating the case and will draw the conclusions. our middle east correspondent lucy williamson reports from jerusalem, and a warning that the report does contain some distressing images. morning didn't end the nightmare, but it brought the children,
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picking through the debris of the dead. the burned remains of shelters mark the place where israel says a top hamas commander was hiding among thousands of displaced families fleeing the fighting in rafah to the south. translation: we were preparing our children's beds for the night _ and we heard a very loud noise and fire erupted all around us. all the children started screaming, the shelter was shaking and our room was full of shrapnel. the air strike hit an area seen as outside israel's current military assault. shouting. israel says it used precise munitions, intelligence and aerial surveillance to reduce the risk to civilians but that the strike ignited fires across the camp. local reports suggest
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there was a fuelling station nearby. gaza's hamas—run government says dozens were killed and injured, many of them children. hospitals starved of supplies now flooded with patients, the barely alive. the emotionally dead. shouting. israel's army says it has launched an investigation. last night the idf targeted two hamas commanders in rafah whose hands were drenched in israeli blood. civilian casualties are desperately sad, but this is the war hamas wanted and started. yesterday, hamas rockets were fired from rafah towards tel aviv and surrounding israeli towns. all those heading for urban areas were intercepted.
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gaza's civilians can't rely on their government's defences. a family car, today a makeshift hearse for his only sister. where israel and hamas talk of victory, families count their losses until all that is left are the people and then even they are gone. lucy williamson, bbc news, jerusalem. so, as mentioned — the israeli air strike was on a camp for displaced palestinians iin rafah�*s tal palestinians in rafah�*s tal al—sultan area as seen here. the red zone in eastern rafah is where palestinians were officially told to evacuate from by the idf into the yellow zone around khan younis. however the uncoloured zone where this strike occurred is undesignated and hamas says it was a "safe zone", to which the idf says they had told civilians in eastern rafah to flee as well.
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there was no leafleting drop ahead of the air strike. joining me now is the executive director of msf, natalie roberts. thank you for coming on the programme. obviously the headlines were about who was killed, but there were about who was killed, but there were dozens of people who were about who was killed, but there were dozens of people who were injured and some of them very seriously. what have your team's been dealing with?— seriously. what have your team's been dealing with? absolutely. as the re ort been dealing with? absolutely. as the report said, _ been dealing with? absolutely. as the report said, i _ been dealing with? absolutely. as the report said, i mean _ been dealing with? absolutely. as the report said, i mean many - been dealing with? absolutely. as| the report said, i mean many many people killed, but many people injured. so we run what we called those trauma stable he only a couple of kilometres away from where this hit in the camp. within minutes of the air strike hitting we started to receive the dead and wounded in that trauma stabilisation point. so during the night we received 28 dead people but we received 180 wounded people and those are very severely wounded people, many of them, a lot of women
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and children sustained shrapnel injuries and lots of fractures as well as a lot of people suffering from major brands as well. figs well as a lot of people suffering from major brands as well. from ma'or brands as well. as people will from major brands as well. as people will well know — from major brands as well. as people will well know who _ from major brands as well. as people will well know who are _ from major brands as well. as people will well know who are watching, - from major brands as well. as people will well know who are watching, you| will well know who are watching, you need specialised units to deal with burns. and that sort of equipment and care is not available right now in gaza. can you evacuate any of those who are most seriously injured? those who are most seriously in'ured? ~ , , ., . injured? absolutely not. i mean the board has been _ injured? absolutely not. i mean the board has been closed _ injured? absolutely not. i mean the board has been closed for— injured? absolutely not. i mean the board has been closed for some - injured? absolutely not. i mean the l board has been closed for some time now so we are unable to evacuate any patients in gaza, we haven't been for some time now. as you said, this point we are running is just a trauma stabilisation point, it's designed to be that first stage of immediate life staging —— life—saving care, and the refer to other units. where there are other hospitals running, field hospitals or some kind of remnant of hospitals that were already there, pretty much the medical system in gaza has been completely decimated across the entire strip. the liver of care ——
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level of care we can provide these patients is completely inadequate. complex injuries, burns, fractures. we know many of the patients who are still alive today, they probably won't survive. and would probably won't survive. and would probably won't even know, actually, how many people in the end have been killed with this air strike. in people in the end have been killed with this air strike.— with this air strike. in terms of the resunply — with this air strike. in terms of the resunply of _ with this air strike. in terms of the resupply of the _ with this air strike. in terms of| the resupply of the stabilisation unit, presumably they were just gearing up from a suburb with a presumably they have gone through all of their supplies in the last 2a hours, how readily can you resupply a unit like that? is hours, how readily can you resupply a unit like that?— a unit like that? is going to be very difficult. _ a unit like that? is going to be very difficult. any _ a unit like that? is going to be very difficult. any hospital, i a unit like that? is going to be| very difficult. any hospital, i've worked in many war zones, dealing with a mass casualty incident like that, it takes a lot of time to get back to running at all and given that the very huge difficulty we've had for so long to get supplies into gaza, the border has been shut for so long that our stocks are running out, i know everybody else's stocks are running out as well. and while
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we hear today that may be some trucks have managed to cross the border, because of the sheer ferocity of the warfare going on across gaza, the assault that goes all across the entire strip, even if the aide crosses the border, the supply crosses the border, it's impossible to get it where it needs to go. it'sjust impossible to get it where it needs to go. it's just too dangerous to try and deliver it. so we're not really sure how able we'll be to continue maintaining our medical activities. our teams are afraid for their lives and they are just unable to work in those conditions. i was 'ust auoin to work in those conditions. i was just going to _ to work in those conditions. i was just going to ask _ to work in those conditions. i was just going to ask you _ to work in those conditions. i was just going to ask you about - to work in those conditions. i was just going to ask you about the team because so often we forget to ask about, we know about the mental trauma that of course the patients and those living around these air strikes are suffering, but what about the team? because as i say, this was a strike on a safe zone inside the safe area, what are you having to say to your staff, what sort of rest and recuperation are they getting?— they getting? very little. the ma'ori they getting? very little. the majority of — they getting? very little. the majority of our _ they getting? very little. the majority of our team - they getting? very little. the majority of our team are - majority of our team are palestinians, they've been stuck there now seven or so months this
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war has been going on. we have international staff is well inside gaza and we try to rotate them in and out as much is possible but our palestinian colleagues don't have that luxury. they're overwhelmed, they're exhausted, they are tired of being scared, they're scared wherever they go, and they firmly believe as i do that if notjust that there's no safe place in gaza, no—one is safe in gaza. whether they are an aid worker, a civilian, there is nowhere, no—one who is safe in that place. so they are just... they're exhausted and somehow despondent. they don't really believe anything that's being said in and this comes two days after the icj ruling saying the assault on rafah must stop, and to have that come... that element of potential hope that maybe someone was going to do something to stop this happening and then within two days to be faced with this huge mass casualty event, it's just making them more despondent.
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it'sjust making them more despondent.— it'sjust making them more despondent. it'sjust making them more desondent. ., ., ., despondent. you to come on the programme _ despondent. you to come on the programme again. _ despondent. you to come on the programme again, thank- despondent. you to come on the programme again, thank you - despondent. you to come on the programme again, thank you so | despondent. you to come on the - programme again, thank you so much for that. programme again, thank you so much forthat. let's programme again, thank you so much for that. let's look at the politics of this from an american perspective. the white house is yet to comment fully, butjoe biden had been openly opposed to a major israeli offensive inside rafah — this will surely have i made it clear that if they go into rougher, they haven't gone into rafah yet, if they go into rafah, i'm not supplying weapons that have been used historically to deal with rafah. the strike happened only days after the international court ofjustice ordered israel to immediately halt military actions that caused widespread civilian death in gaza. joining me now is president of the middle east policy council and former us ambassador, gina abercrombie—winstanley. why do you think there has been only a muted response from the white house? yet no public statement from
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the administration. i house? yet no public statement from the administration.— the administration. i think the muted response _ the administration. i think the muted response is _ the administration. i think the muted response is a - the administration. i think the muted response is a clear- the administration. i think the - muted response is a clear testament to the complexity of the issue for the president right now. the ramping up the president right now. the ramping up of the domestic political implications has been clear. so we've heard from republicans, from former president trump, about the importance of maintaining unadulterated support for the government of israel, regardless of what it does. and of course you've got strong voices and the president's party. leadership and possible and likely voters that they are dissatisfied with the continued us support for war that has resulted in charges of genocide, charges of not paying attention to or violating international humanitarian law. and whatever those legal determinations will be in the future, the fact is
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that these sorts of attacks, these sorts of responses rather, are what contribute to these concerns. so the president is in a very difficult position. he laid a redline and now he's going to be forced to say whether this has been met and what the response is going to be. i was auoin to the response is going to be. i was going to go _ the response is going to be. i was going to go beyond _ the response is going to be. i was going to go beyond that, - the response is going to be. i was going to go beyond that, i would say that he is set a redline and whether he is walking out back under significant political pressure from the republicans. weapons that he stalled that didn't supply to israel. we'll see whether he did or not in the un security council this week how firm he is on his redlines because they are going to discuss this icj ruling in the context of what we have just been reporting this icj ruling in the context of what we havejust been reporting in the context of an atrocity, really. 45 people killed, over 100 injured, isn't the president, isn't the president pulling his punches if he says, well, this is not the full military operation? what else does
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it look like?— it look like? well, certainly, before this _ it look like? well, certainly, before this response, - it look like? well, certainly, before this response, this . it look like? well, certainly, - before this response, this attack that caused so many civilian casualties, the president had a little bit of grey area about adapting a full assault, and certainly the israeli government was reassuring us and indeed the world that it was not a full assault. i do not believe that the president is going to be swayed by the security council, you have seen repeatedly over the last eight months but that has not had an impact on us policy per se. what he does and how he addresses this response is going to come from his own considerations. he has already shown that he's been willing to withhold weapons, the 2000 or 5000 pound bombs that have been used in the gaza strip, you can absolutely count on a very firm review by us officials on what exactly happened in rafah and that
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will determine what his next steps are. but it's not going to be held or pushed by the security council, it will be held or pushed by his own calculations about what is necessary. calculations about what is necessary-— calculations about what is necessary. calculations about what is necessa ., , ., , ., necessary. just a very quick word before i necessary. just a very quick word before i let _ necessary. just a very quick word before i let you _ necessary. just a very quick word before i let you go _ necessary. just a very quick word before i let you go on _ necessary. just a very quick word before i let you go on the - necessary. just a very quick word before i let you go on the house| before i let you go on the house speaker's decision to invite prime minister netanyahu to address a joint session. he says that he's got the nod from senator chuck schumer, which is interesting given how critical chuck schumer has been about prime minister netanyahu. i'm thinking back to 2015 when netanyahu was so critical of president obama's deal on iran, you can... i mean, you can well imagine what his comments, his rhetoric might be in respect of president biden's decision not to send weapons. president biden's decision not to send weapons-— president biden's decision not to send weaons. ., 2 ., ., ~ send weapons. yeah, it's not making an bod send weapons. yeah, it's not making anybody happy. _ send weapons. yeah, it's not making anybody happy. i _ send weapons. yeah, it's not making anybody happy. i can _ send weapons. yeah, it's not making anybody happy, i can assure - anybody happy, i can assure you,
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except for republicans who of course want to put their president in a difficult position. it certainly breaks all protocol and there are those who are calling on the president to address the israeli public in a similar fashion. president to address the israeli public in a similarfashion. that may be necessary, that may be wise as many believe that israeli citizens are not watching the same news that the rest of the world is saying. that they are so still traumatised by what happened on october seven and indeed a terribly heinous attack, but so traumatised that they haven't space to see really what else is happening and president biden addressing that might help that. it happened before, is not going to be comfortable, we'll see what the prime minister says. we'll see what the prime minister sa s. �* �* , ., ., we'll see what the prime minister sa s. �* , ., ., says. and buster, good to have you on the programme, _ says. and buster, good to have you on the programme, thank - says. and buster, good to have you on the programme, thank you - says. and buster, good to have you on the programme, thank you for. on the programme, thank you for that. absolutely, you're welcome. around the world and across the uk, you're watching bbc news.
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russian forces say they have taken two more ukrainian villages in the east of the country, one village in the kharkiv region and another one in donetsk. ukraine is battling a russian ground offensive in the kharkiv region which began on may 10th in moscow's biggest territorial advance in 18 months. the two new advances are the latest in a series of russian territorial gains in recent weeks. in madrid, president zelensky said his forces are outgunned and under siege, and there are neighbourhoods beyond the front line, he said, that our forces can no longer defend. spain promised to give ukraine a further billion euros worth of military aid. pledges of support are not the problem. it is the timely delivery of what has been promised. beyond ukraine's borders, there is nervousness. poland's government announced today it is spending more than £2 billion to reinforce its eastern border. while nato's outgoing secretary—general, jens stoltenberg, called for the restrictions on weapons that are given to ukraine to be lifted.
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said that the time has come to consider whether it will be right to lift some of the restrictions which have been imposed, because we see now that especially in the cookie region, the front line on the borderline —— kharkiv. our more than less the same. and if they cannot attack military targets on russian territory then it ties one hand of ukrainians on their back and makes it very hard for them to conduct events. i'm joined now by oleksiy goncharenko who is a ukraininan member of parliament, currently in paris. always good to have you on the programme. he makes a very good point, the nato secretary general, he talks about weapons, the longer
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weapons being used beyond ukraine's borders to attack russian logistics. it still remains a redline for the white house. what would you say in response to that?— response to that? hello, first of all definitely _ response to that? hello, first of all definitely we _ response to that? hello, first of all definitely we need _ response to that? hello, first of all definitely we need to - response to that? hello, first of all definitely we need to have i response to that? hello, first of i all definitely we need to have this possibility to attack russian forces wherever they are, because today we are focusing with. .. wherever they are, because today we are focusing with... just impossible, russia has more people, their military budget is bigger than ukrainian even with the us and european is united kingdom's support, so having no opportunities when they are advancing on our borders isjust when they are advancing on our borders is just crazy, when they are advancing on our borders isjust crazy, so when they are advancing on our borders is just crazy, so we definitely need these possibility to attack their forces wherever they are. , , ., ., ., , are. interesting you are in paris, because of— are. interesting you are in paris, because of course _ are. interesting you are in paris, because of course the _ are. interesting you are in paris, because of course the french - because of course the french president's interest in where he's been talking about the war in ukraine, he says we are at a tipping point that he's refusing to rule out putting boots on the ground, which
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of course does set him at odds with the german chancellor. what you make of what you're hearing from president mccrone? —— president macron. brute president mccrone? -- president macron. ~ ., ., ,, macron. we need to take them next ste and macron. we need to take them next step and send _ macron. we need to take them next step and send on _ macron. we need to take them next step and send on the _ macron. we need to take them next step and send on the ground. - macron. we need to take them next step and send on the ground. it's i step and send on the ground. it's not about western soldiers to fight in trenches against russians, we are not asking for this. but we definitely need western troops to train our forces to work with our forces, to help us to do mining, to free ukrainian units to fight against russians, that's what we definitely need. recently i asked ukrainian minister of foreign affairs about possibility to send boots on your ground to ukraine, he said we are ready. we are ready to
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defend, that was said by lithuania, the same was saying estonia, so i think there are a number of countries from nato which are already ready to send troops on the ground to ukraine and that's something that should be done as soon as possible. the something that should be done as soon as possible.— something that should be done as soon as possible. the top and bottom of this, soon as possible. the top and bottom of this. alexei. _ soon as possible. the top and bottom of this, alexei, is _ soon as possible. the top and bottom of this, alexei, is that _ soon as possible. the top and bottom of this, alexei, is that us _ soon as possible. the top and bottom of this, alexei, is that us in _ of this, alexei, is that us in europe are fighting a war at arms length. we are all at work, aren't we? �* , , ., ~ , we? absolutely, the whole western world is at war. _ we? absolutely, the whole western world is at war. and _ we? absolutely, the whole western world is at war. and if _ we? absolutely, the whole western world is at war. and if you - we? absolutely, the whole western world is at war. and if you will - world is at war. and if you will listen to putin, he is absolutely clear about this. he is saying that is not my war against ukraine, that is not my war against ukraine, that is my war against the west and anglo—saxons, meaning united kingdom, united states and its allies. so that is very clear from him. �* �* , allies. so that is very clear from him. �* ., him. alexei, it's always good to have ou him. alexei, it's always good to have you on _ him. alexei, it's always good to have you on the _ him. alexei, it's always good to have you on the programme, i him. alexei, it's always good to - have you on the programme, thank you very much forjoining us from paris. we'll talk plenty more about ukraine and the response from the european forces and the second half of our
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programme, our panel is coming up, will also talk of course about the elections, a busy day on this first full week of campaigning. we'll talk about security, both parties talking about security, both parties talking about security, both parties talking about security, of course the conservatives talking about that national security plan, national service plan and keir starmer, sir keir starmer today saying you can trust us, labour, to do the right things on the board and for our wider security. we'll get into all that, we'll be back right after this break. hello. after a day of sunny spells and heavy showers, one or two rumbles
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of thunder as well, the evening is looking quieter across most of the uk. the showers are easing right now, and we'll see some clear skies developing at least across most of the uk. the opposite is true for south—western parts of england and wales, though. a weather front is approaching — and that does spell rain through the early hours, which should reach the irish sea and also northern ireland by around 5—6am in the morning. but towards the north and the east, it's going to be dry. temperatures early in the morning, nine celsius in edinburgh. more typically, it'll be into double figures. so, the low pressure will be moving slowly across the uk during the course of tuesday, and at the very least, it's going to bring a lot of cloud. the last place to see the thick cloud and the rain will be the north—east of scotland — but i think for most of us, it's a pretty cloudy day with rain at times. temperatures, nothing spectacular, between around 15—18 celsius. and the evening tomorrow is also looking fairly cloudy, but i think, towards the end of the day, we will see some sunshine developing, so at least the second half of tuesday's looking a little bit better. now, that low pressure
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will continue to move away towards the east early on wednesday, but behind it, i think showers will develop from eastern scotland, the borders, all the way towards yorkshire and lincolnshire — really quite heavy showers here. but out towards the west, i think the weather's looking absolutely fine for wales, for south—western england, for northern ireland, too, plenty of sunny weather and relatively light winds. now, let's have a look at the forecast for thursday — the winds will be blowing in from the north, fairly cool winds for some of us. showers will develop, i think, this time in central parts of the uk, down that spine — so anywhere from the lowlands of scotland, across the pennines, the peak district may catch a few showers on thursday. there could be 1—2 in the midlands, as well. temperatures about the same. now, if you're wondering about the end of the week and into this coming weekend, well, here's some good news — high pressure is expected to establish itself across the uk. we're not promising particularly warm weather, but at least it'll be generally dry and really quite sunny.
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if you're checking the apps, they should already indicate that weather settling as we head into friday, saturday, and sunday. i mean, look at that in belfast — lots of sunshine, and really not bad at all on the thermometer.
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hello, i'm christian fraser. you're watching the context on bbc news. we will also provide the certainty that working people, businesses, and communities need. a clear direction — not the endless spinning around that successive tory governments have subjected us all to. this modern form of national service will mean that young people get the skills and the opportunities they need, which will serve them very well in life. it will foster a culture of service. if you vote liberal democrat, you get a local champion - who is going to campaign for your community, - for your families, stand up for them on the nhs, - and on the local environment. joining me on the panel tonight are mihir bose, author and broadcaster — simonjohnson, scottish political editor at the daily telegraph — and lord peter ricketts, former british ambassador to france and nato, and former uk national security adviser.

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