the atacama desert is normally one of the driest places on earth and the 60 metre waterfall had run dry for ten years. a lot of dirt in that waterfall. you can reach me on twitter. i'm @regedahmadbbc. i'll be back at the top of the hour with a full bulletin. now on bbc news, a special edition of global questions from rome. with brexit approaching, will the remaining nations of the european union bind themselves together ever more closely, or are there insurmountable fault lines that will continue to divide europe? hello, and welcome to roma, the eternal city. it is a city steeped in romantic history but the people here, it is the pressing concerns of the present uppermost in their

minds. last year, italian ‘s delta big blow to politics as usual by voting overwhelmingly for two new parties — the five star movement and the league. it was a clear demonstration of how voters are turning against the establishment. what lies behind such frustration, even anger, which in some cases has led to protests on the streets across europe? and are at the new leaders delivering better to the people? and where does the european union stand in all this? some people think it helps nations serve their citizens others believe it makes things worse. both politics and the people are divided into europe. ——in

europe. applause . welcome to one of the most majestic buildings in rome with these beautiful arches and ornate columns. iam these beautiful arches and ornate columns. i am surrounded by wonderful frescoes dating back to 1885 when it was built. then, they would have been exotic fish on display, sadly no fish today but we do have a terrific audience from here in italy and across europe and that they will be asking some questions to our panel. let me tell you who is on our panel. from

five—star movement, and from the lower chamber. a centre—right pro— european swedish mep seating within the ppp. also hugh brunson, a german politician and founding member of the alternative for germany party which gained seats for the first time in 2017, becoming the country ‘s third—largest party. and a multimedia journalist and political commentatorfrom multimedia journalist and political commentator from france. she multimedia journalist and political commentatorfrom france. she writes regularly for the international press. given our panel are very warm welcome. applause

. that was a warm, italian welcome. let's get down to business straightaway and ask for our first question. what has caused the dissatisfaction with establish politics? short and sharp and to the point. thank you for your question. i think it is indeed one of the main questions we have to face every day. iam from questions we have to face every day. i am from a party that started from the detachment of politics and people and i think the main reason why people are really taking a step back from politics is because they do not see it as something that can

actually sold problems. probably, i mean, my idea is that... people are perceiving that politics cannot do so perceiving that politics cannot do so much and that maybe finance and market are much more important in decision—making process of everyday and they are somehow attached by the political class. i can only agree to what she says. mainly it is a problem with the new elite that has established itself, you can call it the urban elite. from new york, london singapore and they run most pa rt of london singapore and they run most part of the business and have no problem outsourcing their workforce to other countries... you say they area to other countries... you say they are a new elite. we tend to fall the

question people going against the old elite? they know the rules of the global stage and they support the global stage and they support the old system of course, and the old system, very often the politicians don't listen to the people any more. they are worried, there are fears that the old parties do not respond to. hence we have the development in europe that a lot of new conservative parties are coming up new conservative parties are coming up and they are responding to the people and they have quite a success when it comes to elections. do you belong to the elite? in what way are you different? we see the result. lega nord arab in

government, they have been in government. what is the market? it is very important not to have these labels. i have been elected directly from the people twice the preferences, from the grassroots. what is democracy? let's be very careful with these labels. we should concentrate on issues. what is the alternative? you concentrate on issues. what is the alternative ? you always concentrate on issues. what is the alternative? you always criticise, protest, blame anybody else. what is the alternative? protest, blame anybody else. what is the alternative ? how protest, blame anybody else. what is the alternative? how are you better? all right. we will come to that. applause much what was your answer to the question as to why there is this dissatisfaction between many citizens and our politicians? there is, and it is very important that we take it seriously, that we recognise that, that we show empathy, but to give solutions,

concrete answers, not just dead empathy, but to give solutions, concrete answers, notjust dead ends like they do. it isa like they do. it is a global phenomenon that we are seeing citizens saying, due don't respond to our needs. what is fuelling that? what is behind that? if we go back to what the needs are, i think there is a disconnection ever since 2008, ever since the crash. there has been an economic crisis. and ever since the elite people who were already living in cities just people who were already living in citiesjust did people who were already living in cities just did better and people who were already living in citiesjust did better and have... that takes us to our next question. robert west, your question leads on from that. after ten years of austerity policies, isn't it time the powers that be in europe to enact a radically different programme to seriously address the real and huge

discrepancies of wealth and privilege? that discrepancies of wealth and privilege ? that have discrepancies of wealth and privilege? that have resulted in these protests that have taken various forms, most recently the yellow best movement in france? —— vest. yes, i think it is time for a new response to these years of austerity, and that is notjust in france. it has been happening in very different ways everywhere. they have been protest in france, there have been protest in france, there have been protest in france, there have been protest in other european countries. regs it to some extent is the same. —— brexit. so you see it as being economic and people feeling they are not getting the benefit? i think that is where it started. i am not saying there was no ill eat before and everything was good

before, but it made everything worse and it has divided society more because the rich are getting richer and that is destroying everything. i think it is very important to recognise some people really feel let behind, feel it is not anything for them let behind, feel it is not anything forthem in let behind, feel it is not anything for them in what is happening, and have the legitimate right to be worried to get to the end of the month. but about austerity, we have a crisis, a real economic crisis. some countries did reforms, ireland, latvia, portugal, spain. they got out of it and they've feel extremely well. 0ther out of it and they've feel extremely well. other countries like italy did not do the reforms and an eight blame it on brussels's austerity. you cannot blame this austerity of russell for the failures of national reforms. and as long as there is a skyrocketing debt, and no government has the courage to deal with it,

then the scapegoating of russells will not make italian people richer. do you agree? is anyone here who has the courage to say that? and the yellow vest, i admire president macron. he started a process of reforms that france badly needed. the question was actually, look on time that the powers in europe did something about this? and that if you, you are part the five star movement. what are you doing about it? we are starting with some reforms that are implemented here in italy, andl that are implemented here in italy, and i think that since we are within the european project, we are a founding memberof the the european project, we are a founding member of the european union, we to keep in mind why we did it. i want to say that if they lost generation in europe. we left behind a whole country that was greece, and we don't know what will happen in the future. at the european union has done over the years...

you are blank the european union for people feeling in progress? no, i people feeling in progress? no, lam people feeling in progress? no, i am saying there were some decisions that were taken by pacific —— specific country that made greece what it is now and have made a generation and the whole european union ina generation and the whole european union in a position it is now, and politics is the result of those reforms. there is a time for austerity and there is a time for social benefits. it depends on the government and depends on the situation, it depends on the economic situation of the country. since we have the eu as a common currency, there is a responsibility to act sensibly because what a country does, which is in the eu zone, also affects other countries. you said that the greeks are in a very bad situation because of austerity. a lot of greeks playing germany for their very exacting demands. it is funny because germany funded

most of the rescue packet, so i don't know where the blame is coming from. iamjust from. i am just saying that a lot of people did lay in germany. sadly, a lot of the money doesn't reach the greek people. if the billions and billions poured into the country were passed on to the people, many problems would result. at it was used to say french banks, they were used to save german banks. this is not the policy that our party stands for. definitely not. i think it is important that we debate on facts. whatever people think, let's stick to the facts. greece what the country collapsing under debt. they had pensions that we re under debt. they had pensions that were much more in generous than germany, the wealth was extremely generous. five, six years ago, the debate in europe was greece will live to europe. has greece left europe? no. they have left the financial support programme that

taxpayers from germany and from italy at page very generously with all the credit and the admiration that the people of greece should get because they did amazing sacrifices and amazing effort. they are back on their feet. wrong what you are saying. it is factually wrong. they are back on their feet. treason has picked up. it is a success story for the european union. i understand what you say, but i don't think they are the same thing you are saying. also, i invite you to have a chat with many people of my age, i am 21, to have a chat with many people of my age, iam 21, i know to have a chat with many people of my age, i am 21, i know exactly how it feels not to find a job. and having to go somewhere else because thatis having to go somewhere else because that is what our generation is doing because simply, the economy is not working very well and there are hundreds of people going to northern europe. i would like to get more response from the floor. there is a lady there. i would agree

that, yes, we do need radically different policies, bubbly starting with corporation taxes, minimum wage. itjust with corporation taxes, minimum wage. it just seems with corporation taxes, minimum wage. itjust seems a lot of the effort is very much pro—business and is targeted towards companies, but those profits are not necessarily trickling down. exactly. how will it all end? the yellow — — how will it all end? the yellow —— yellow vest did not see that, he started with a field tax, but it is about economics. it is that inequality in france and it goes back to, as you are saying, the markets, it goes back to the fact that there are some profits but always for the same people, and i disagree with what you said earlier about an annual macron's reforms, because first idiot not get the support of all the french people. it was democratically elected but he

was democratically elected but he was elected and it was a big thing that he has forgotten and a lot of people have forgotten, he believes he has been elected to implement his programme, but he has been elected because he was facing le penn. it is very liberal and varied road market and pro—business as you are saying. a lot of people don't see themselves in that. a lot of people have seen what becomes of years of austerity after there was a big economic crisis and everyone says, well, now we need austerity, that means less welfare , we need austerity, that means less welfare, cut and everywhere. they disagree with that. and that is what led to be yellow vest. you cannot say it is the only thing to do. it will keep happening everywhere. as well as you don't actually... as long as you change things, as long

as you've don't keep these... to me, this is the basic of notjust as you've don't keep these... to me, this is the basic of not just the french system, but a lot of european systems, and they have been disgruntled prolonged time now. peak hill can't find jobs. i and the hill can't find jobs. land the same. we have all been struggling. l graduated a few years ago, i have friends who are struggling to find jobs, we don't know what's going to happen to our generation and we are not all going to... macron is quite a young president anyway. but he was a banker before he became the economy minister, and then he became president. he did not come out of nowhere. he came from markets, he came from the elite. it comes back to this. applause. thank you. lydia, your question,

please. wearout you? their eu art. —— where are you. there you are. we'll europe remain as divided as ever as an almost impossible to solve migration crisis? you have taken it more refugees than any other eu country per capita. i think this is one of our biggest challenges of our time, and whoever wants to give an easy answer and think there is a quick fix is not in touch with reality. we have a good european policy on migration and we have been restoring it. the european parliament and the commission have been doing their part. why do i explain this procedure? who is looking in the council? what kind of

solidarity that italy really would need to have is the friend of the current internal minister of italy, the server less than the nationalists. they are the ones blocking. because otherwise the famous reform which means who takes responsibility, is it only the first country of entry? do we really have this shared responsibility? and all 28 european countries, who is blocking it? you are talking about matteo salvini. the nationalists and the extreme right are the friends of those in italy and saving europe and the ones blocking the possibility for the european union to be effective. it has to be said in italy because instead of fighting with france, who should be italy's best alliance, the italian government should go to brussels, sit down and get alliance,

not isolate itself and then invite. it will never be a solution. people that are going to run europe. applause. on migration, i agree there has been a lack of solidarity because the country is closest to the countries were the ones to receive them. there has been a disgraceful response from the eu. it was never a big number even at the height of the crisis. if there had been programmes to take in as many people... there is no migration crisis? i am not saying that but the crisis? i am not saying that but the crisis was made a bigger by the fact that there were walls built in hungary, in austria, several

countries because there was no wide response of... so others had a heavy burden. i have lived in the uk for a while. in the uk, immigration from within the eu is seen as migrants. the uk never really took any migrants because there were never any sanctions the countries that did not respect any quotas and that destroyed everything. the lack of solidarity, the uk, hungary, you are blaming... i not blamingjust solidarity, the uk, hungary, you are blaming... i not blaming just find that there was no programme that made sure everyone was using solidarity. germany in absolute terms took far more. the problem is and migration is the biggest problem

we have the deal with now. the problem with the eu, or that you have announcements from anna maria corazza bildt, when it comes to this, everyone works for themselves. the french, the italian, the greeks. they are all looking at their national interests instead of thinking for a european solution. we have a question directed to you, hugh brunson. my question is directed to hugh brunson. i am also german but i live here in italy so i am rather it went about your party but i gained the impression that your party gained a lot of its political support because it opposed chancellor merkel? decision to let about a million syrians into germany

and to start integrating them right away. but i am not at all clear what your party would have done if you would have a say in this decision. 0ur position is one thing but what to do is not clear to me. the answer is very simple. what we have to do is very simple. what we have to do is laid down in the constitution. it says people looking for a silent shall be helped, people escaping a warzone shall be helped. —— looking for asylum. but we should not have an open border. we need to have a controlled entrance, a check on who is coming into this country. that does not mean we do not help those in need. we have european law which makes a clear difference between those who have the right to

international protection and migrants who do not have the right for international protection. refugees are welcome to the european union on the basis of individual assessment not based on geography. migrants with agreements, we are talking to third countries. i know what i am talking about. the policy of open borders from angela merkel was a substantial part for the british to leave. it had an impact on the brexit decision. make no mistake about that. this is something for the europeans to take charge of. how is it possible that hundreds of thousands of people from syria escaped to greece and fall or five other countries to reach germany and sweden. what happened to

all these other countries who are pa rt of all these other countries who are part of the european union and nobody feels responsible. the common rules on asylum. another dimension which we got on social media... we do have responses and e—mails and comments posted on social media. 0ne asks, who thought about millions off of war refugees into europe in a continent of catholics and protesta nt with continent of catholics and protestant with the same caucasian race, what does it mean to have people that do not know what integration is. it does raise issues of integration. it is a humanitarian question. if these people need protection, of course germany is a... we are talking about integration. and practising a

different religion. syria or example, if they escape the civil war, the civil war comes to an end, would you not encourage this people to go back. but they are needed in their country to rebuild a war stricken country, the experts, the engineers, the doctors. is there an issue with integrating refugees and migrants? do not think there is any problem with religion. every person has their religion. the point is creating policies to integrate people. that is a whole different story. so far it's only has never had an integration process. many other countries had. some of them did not work. we looked for years at

belgium and france. wejust did not work. we looked for years at belgium and france. we just have to be working on that. it is not really about which religion comes and which religion is already here, it does not matter. it is about integration and we have to work on it. another example on social media, given that czechoslovakia, poland and hungary can we once again speak of an eye in curtin? —— iron curtain. another comment from peter, two of the greatest drivers of populism at the refugee crisis and economic austerity and he asks if they diminish, would we see the surge in

populism decrease. do you think migration is the biggest issue of the day in europe? put up your hand. very slowly hands going up but a tiny, tiny minority. hugh brunson, on the panel, is putting up his hand. 0ruphilland if on the panel, is putting up his hand. 0r uphilland if income equality, economic, is the most telling issue? we see many more hands. i come from albania. it is pa rt hands. i come from albania. it is part of europe but not part of the european union. the european union hesitated for a number of reasons, like reform. why it at a time of

crisis in europe does the european union not speed up procedures to the western balkan countries which have a very strategic position to their geophysics of europe? a very strategic position to their geophysics of europe ?|j a very strategic position to their geophysics of europe? i did spend six years, the longest serving civilian in all that was in the balkans and the siege of sarajevo and that is were rooted by a strong commitment for peace. anything was uniting the people of the balkans at the time was to integrate into the family of europe because, for them, it was the only way to secure peace, stability, freedom and prosperity. maybe in the debate in europe we should be reminded of that. as we at self flagellating, these people want to enter the european union. are we

so bad? buy do they want to join us? we are one of the strongest forces of democracy and freedom in the world... tell that to the americans. it is not perfect but it is the best that exists. there is no better alternative. you are welcome when the crowd tereus being the field in terms of rule of law and marketing, me. “— terms of rule of law and marketing, me. —— they can be fairfield. terms of rule of law and marketing, me. -- they can be fairfield. what the european union wants to do is to stop for a while and think, what we nt stop for a while and think, what went wrong? why did a country like great britain leave the eu if it is the greatest democracy and a fantastic place to be, this and that

and the other? they have been major mistakes. the growth of the european union and the dramatic speed, instead of asking the people, the german people were never asked if any referendum whether they wanted any referendum whether they wanted an increase of the european union, whether they greeted the lisbon treaty, the euro, none of these things. should we not go to the european first and ask what is it you want from the european union? this has been lacking the decade and it is one of the reasons why a lot of conservative parties are gaining support. let's go to marta grande. the five—star movement is also a bit ofa the five—star movement is also a bit of a sceptic. i am actually not agreeing with you on this matter. i think the western balkans are extremely important for the european

union. they really. if they are sticking to all the chapters open by the european union and are working toward entering, it is really something they want to achieve and, at the same time, we always have to keepin at the same time, we always have to keep in mind what might happen if after the next elections, all those countries see the dream of the european union is going really far away and they will not have the chance to enter because that may cause something we might regret in the future. the question is, why was, in the case of brexit, and his in many other european nations currently, the overwhelmingly positive working of the european union offered undersold or overlooked? applause .it is applause . it is very easy, it is lousy

marketing. the eu has done some great things but it is never been the trade in the correct way. it has ever been shown in the correct way. when it comes to brexit, make them mistake, the brits look at europe as the continent, they are never really pa rt the continent, they are never really part of europe. the brits are people on an island and they wanted to have and still want to have the last say. when it wants politics and regulations and everybody is making fa ns regulations and everybody is making fans of regulations about bananas and gherkins, but it has had a great effect on the british people... the reason why people voted brexit, we we re reason why people voted brexit, we were just reason why people voted brexit, we werejust using reason why people voted brexit, we were just using that as an example... the overwhelmingly positive work of the european union is undersold, as he said it was in the brexit vote but you think it is lousy marketing. anna maria corazza

bildt you are a member and are positive about the european union. is it hard to love? it is a house of the people... everybody is represented there. it is amazing. 750 representatives of all the people of europe. why is it hard to love ? people of europe. why is it hard to love? i am not sure. i think also this is a media thing... if you look last year, the european union popularity is increasing throughout europe, it is increasing in hungary, it is stable in italy despite what matteo salvini says. in 17 countries it is increasing and in the others it is increasing and in the others it is increasing and in the others it is remaining stable. there is a

stress divide but it is not mathematics that everybody thinks badly about the european union. populists are using, because they a lwa ys populists are using, because they always need an enemy, a blame game, someone to scapegoat... let's get someone to scapegoat... let's get some response from the floor. we have been looking quite a lot inwards and close by, but the european union is also a very important at on the global arena and important at on the global arena and important issues such as development corporation, at china against climate change. does the panel believes that knowledge on the eu as a global actor should be further promoted among its citizens, and how would you think that it could affect our perceptions about the value and importance of the new? what do you

think the outcome should be?|j importance of the new? what do you think the outcome should be? i think we should caramel about these issues and it is a very important voice. i would like to get some more response from the floor. the eu is a complex project, i think it's very difficult to communicate exactly what it does, it is something at the foundation of how to maintain peace in our societies, and one thing i have heard a lot on the panel is that there is a problem with the elite. i am part of the elite, that is part of my responsibility, it is what we have to think about. how do we move forward , to think about. how do we move forward, how do we maintain the peace project how do we are just things like climate change inequality, we are elite, yes, but how do we take responsibility of being elite and fought a future that allows us to be prosperous? applause let's go to our final question on that. let's gojohn. my

question on that. let's gojohn. my question is, is the real crime of the so—called populists actually simply that they are popular? locate. you are a part of the 5—star movement. loosely described as popular. nobody quite knows what your movement stands for because you seem to accept the pull of different ideologies, but anyway. seem to accept the pull of different ideologies, butanyway. is seem to accept the pull of different ideologies, but anyway. is itjust you are simply popular, you don't really... i think we also have been able to convince people that we have had some ideas, otherwise we wouldn't have had 50% in the last election. maybe we were able to communicate something and to express at least something and to express at least some values that are based on the five star movement. we said that we are a post— ideological party will movement because we don't want to follow the path that we are at

already paid in history, also because we are at a new movement. i think that indeed we were able to show people that we were very close to being understanding the needs of italian. you had a large share in the elections, 32% or so, is that because you are a peek in which people can hang whatever they want ona people can hang whatever they want o we we re really o we were really clear on what we were bringing in our campaign, in our campaign. which is? social reforms, it isjust the beginning, that we will be doing it. have a different approach to the european union and the bureaucracy that we want to change. we were really critical regarding the politics that were put in place by the older government. in our

opinion, they really care about specific social issues, they care about more about banks than people. so we decided to structure a programme, and apparently... you are in coalition with the far right league. they are constraining new. we found a common programme, exactly because we we re a common programme, exactly because we were extremely different. they obliged us to do a condition with another party. anna maria? the populace are popular as long as they don't take responsibility for government. applause. we have not seen so far any extreme right party that has delivered. do you have one example of one extreme right part in all of europe who has delivered concrete answers and solutions to the citizens of europe? please tell me because i cannot see it. they are doing well because

hungary is a country in europe together with poland who gets most money from the rest of europe. when they were not have any more of, maybe in the next budget, the funds, c the popularity will continue to be, because it is european money that makes it popular. applause. let me answer, because what you will our writing is important. there are two things that worry me about populism. 0ne, europe should never forget its worry me about populism. 0ne, europe should neverforget its history. we don't have the possibility to forget our history. i lived through the siege of sarajevo, six years of the last war in europe. and i come from afamily like many last war in europe. and i come from a family like many here are and have been going through anti—semitism and occupation and so on, and what i learnt, my friends, in the siege of

sarajevo, how much it takes to go from putting people against people, majority against minorities. stir fears, raise emotions to violence. when the violence starts, good luck to you. this is our history. you see the risk populism rising in europe. do you see it? please, answer to me. do you see it? please, answerto me. i do you see it? please, answer to me. i disagree. do you see it? please, answerto me. i disagree. if you mention populist parties, populous part of our core populace parties because they are popular. look at austria, look at denmark, poland, hungary. you say they are not taking responsibility. far from it. they are taking responsibility, they have great support from the people who voted for them. one of the big problems are very often is overlooked is the end of the cold war. the old certainties have gone. and now, you are a looking around at

multi— cultural world. trump, and now, you are a looking around at multi— culturalworld. trump, putin, xijinping. multi— culturalworld. trump, putin, xi jinping. these are the three major players on the global stage. and especially europe is looking for its place. where are we? what is the eu doing? populists are popular, yes, and they are addressing things, issues that others are a dressing differently or as you are saying, did this idea of caring about banks more than people, the populists are also gaining ground on that because others aren't... so the traditional parties were not listening to the needs of the people ina way listening to the needs of the people in a way that the populist bar, is that what you are saying? they are not... they are trying to address concerns that others are not, andl address concerns that others are not, and i am not defending the populist and i completely disagree with you, that they are having some success because they are addressing some of the concerns.

what do the audience think? anybody wa nt to what do the audience think? anybody want to put up their hand about the crime of the populists was the question, they are simply popular? i work for the european parliament before, so when you say it it is strong, i agree, before, so when you say it it is strong, iagree, but before, so when you say it it is strong, i agree, but sometimes acting eu has they are saying they represent a good value, it is our job to write dalliance, but some of the member states like hungry and poland perhaps have a different opinion about what values do you hold. maybe some of the countries wa nt to hold. maybe some of the countries want to remain conservative, remained religious or they have different agenda about them. i think you have 27 member states, they are all different. it is good, not bad. it is not necessarily one voice, one ideology, one voice for all eu states. it is better to work together to find new dynamics and compromise. i actually think that the populism is very popular and will be very

short because they seem to give easy, simple, quick, fast answers to very, very complex problems. and people now are a kind of tired and maybe they are not able any more unfortunately to collaborate, articulate. whereas populism, it is simple, quick, fast and that is why i think unfortunately for me it is appealing to many, many people. final point from you, pauline? i believe in europe, think we can reform, acting had to listen to civil society. they think we had to address climate change because we had 20 years left and we are really screwed. yeah, ithink had 20 years left and we are really screwed. yeah, i think we can change, but we had to move quickly. and listen to other people. do not mistake europe for the eu.

europe is a continent of 47 states. the eu is 27. finally, we need to reform the eu if it wants to survive. every time a new french president, german chancellor comes into power, reforms, yes, we will do that but then nothing happens. if they continue with this, we have the so—called populist parties getting more and more powerful across europe, and then we will fulfil reforms that the eu needs to survive. i think that the european union is a turning point now with the next election, and i hope that the next european parliament will be able to give a political direction to the whole european union so that we will be able to face together at those challenges that we are still facing, and we are facing now and that we will be facing in the future. it is about policy makers had to think out of the box, and will even

of time up technology and we had to be disrupted, but not distracted. people want to have politicians that fit around the table constructively and look together how to reach build bridges, not to break bridges, and so fix the problem. a politician just brain, protests, attack, surf fears and stir hate. that is the real divide. politicians who say what they want, who inspire, who look at the future, who talk about our children's better life and climate, jobs security, migration issues that we can all sold together for the weather you like it or not, there is no national solution. thank you very much indeed. ana maria and martyr as you and pauline, all my panel here, that ends the tradition of global questions from rome, and thank you to my audience.

we have been discussing politics and people, a divided europe, where we have heard a range of opinions on how we can best that you are more prosperous itch for the citizens of europe. not sure if there is any consensus, but hope you have enjoyed and learnt something from this edition of global questions. goodbye. we have some rain out there right now and the morning is expected to bea now and the morning is expected to be a little changeable for some of us, a bit of a be a little changeable for some of us, a bit ofa mixed bag be a little changeable for some of us, a bit of a mixed bag out there. by us, a bit of a mixed bag out there. by the time we get lunchtime, the early afternoon, the sun should be out. at the time it is dark —— dark again, there should be showers on the way. through the early hours of

sunday morning, showers across the central, southern areas. not in scotla nd central, southern areas. not in scotland or the north—east of the —— england. clear skies and a touch of frost first thing on sunday morning. cloudy with some outbreaks of rain. say goodbye to the rainbow about early afternoon in east anglia. quite a lot of dry weather and sunshine around england and wales, but heavy showers acquitted in northern ireland. the showers will move northern ireland. the showers will m ove a cross northern ireland. the showers will move across england and wales little bit later ron. the outlook for the week ahead is looking pretty good, it will be dry most of the time, there will be some mild weather by day but the knights will be called. bye. welcome to bbc news. i'm reged ahmad. our top stories: is this their final battle? kurdish fighters in north—eastern syria launch a major assault against what remains of the islamic state group. elizabeth warren makes it official, launching her bid for the white house, promising to champion

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