hello, i'm annita mcveigh. you're watching the context on bbc news. coming up: tens of thousands of protesters rally outside georgia's parliament in tbilisi, to demand the annulment of saturday's election, which is

—— which they say was rigged. before that, it's time for sport. let's head to the bbc sport centre for a full round—up with you ferris. hello to you. manchester united have started their search for a new manager after sacking erik ten hag and could well already be honing in on a target. the club have only registered three premier league wins all season so far and have put first team coach ruud van nistelrooy in temporary charge. ten hag won a trophy in each of his two full seasons in charge, but his position has been the subject of considerable speculation for almost all that time. despite beating manchester city to claim the fa cup in may, their eighth—place finish was their worst in the premier league, but united decided to give him a contract extension anyway. it camejust 116 it came just 116 days ago, and the club then went on to back him with another raft of summer signings, taking the total spend under him beyond half £1

billion. just before noon today, we got that statement saying that erik ten hag will no longer be the manchester united first team manager. they went on to say they were grateful to the two the mystic trophies during his time in charge and that significantly the ruud van nistelrooy, the former striker and playing icon here at old trafford, will come in as the interim head coach. the fence here at old trafford had tried to be patient, they wanted that if a cop win back in may to be a catalyst for leak success, in a similar way to how the fa cup was first or alex ferguson in the early days of his time in charge here, but erik ten hag has led them through too many poor defeats, to bitter rivals, and at home as well, and speak to the fantasy and sitting 14th in the table, they say this decision felt inevitable. —— speaking to the fans today. well, in the last hour or so, it's emerged that manchester united have started talks with sporting boss

ruben amorim about becoming the next permanent manager at old trafford. the club haven't revealed how long they expect ruud van nistelrooy to be in his interim role — and the extent of the talks with amorim aren't yet known. i don't think it's very attractive, it may be less attractive, it may be less attractive than it was. and jess united can certainly pay top wages, not that the type of people being linked to it are only motivated by money, and it's true, some brilliant managers with really high reputations have come to old trafford and walked away with their reputations dented. it's a very difficultjob for one person, and erik ten hag did deal with the difficulties. i think you got a lot more right than wrong. the ballon d'or ceremony is under way in paris, but nobody from real madrid is attending. real are convinced their forward viniciusjunior hasn't won the trophy for the world's best player, despite the brazilian being the favourite to do so. and news agency afp says real have told them that if the awards selection criteria doesn't give it to vinicius, then it should point instead to another of the club's players,

dani carvajal. but, "as this was not the case," they say, "the ballon d'or does not respect real madrid and real madrid doesn't go where it is not respected." the identity of the winner had in the past been leaked before the ceremony, but this year, organisers insist it has been kept secret. you can follow that on the bbc sport website. that's it for now. back to you. thank you very much. thousands of protesters have gathered outside the georgian parliament, after the country's president and opposition parties called for protests against what they say was a "rigged" election at the weekend. applause salome zourabichvili told the crowd, "they stole your vote and tried to steal your future. but you will not allow it." she said that europe stands with them. the rally was called to press for the annulment of saturday's election, which returned the ruling

georgian dream party to power. according to near final election results, georgian dream won nearly 54% of the vote. many western leaders say there was vote rigging and interference by russia. but the kremlin has "strongly rejected" accusations of interference. speaking to the bbc earlier in the day, the president insisted that her country saw its future in europe and it would move in that direction eventually. the will of the georgian people, which was to be reflected in these elections, is to keep its european future. so maybe we won't be able to achieve it today or tomorrow. it depends. there are a number of things that can be done. there can be international review of some of the elements of the election. there can be a call for new elections. in what period of time, i don't know. that will depend on the georgian people and on the political parties. my call was to have a demonstration of, where does

the georgian population stand? and i think we're going to see tonight. khatia dekanoidze is an opposition georgian politician who's served as a member of parliament since 2020. she's one of the leaders of the unity — national movement. shejoins me now. thank you very much for your time today. the us and... very much for your time today. the us and...— very much for your time today. the us end...— the us and... thank you for havin: the us and... thank you for having me- _ the us and... thank you for having me. the _ the us and... thank you for having me. the us - the us and... thank you for having me. the us and - the us and... thank you for having me. the us and the | having me. the us and the eumpean _ having me. the us and the european union _ having me. the us and the european union have - having me. the us and the i european union have backed because, haven't they, for those calls made by election monitors for an independent investigation into the vote? how do you think that might happen? do you think it will happen? do you think it will ha--en? , happen? do you think it will ha 0 en? , . ., happen? do you think it will ha--en? , . w w happen? this election for georgia. _ happen? this election for georgia, they _ happen? this election for georgia, they had - happen? this election for georgia, they had very i georgia, they had very existential meaning, because it was not only the elections and the, edition about parties or among parties, it was about choosing russia versus georgia,

or russia versus european union, because georgia is under the very detrimental, pro—russian tycoon who owns the country, and he actually he dared to go against the will of georgian people, and in 2022, after the full—scale russian invasion into ukraine, the georgian government totally changed the political course, foreign policy course, and actually, it was not really just in case, it was a very, very conscious decision. he wants georgia to be isolated. these elections were very much important. actually, elections have been stolen, and myself, i have been stolen, and myself, i have been stolen, and myself, i have been campaigning one of the largest cities, secular just city, and myself, when i have seen so many egregious

falsifications, reading, —— second largest city. falsifications, reading, -- second largest city.- falsifications, reading, -- second largest city. are using the irregularities _ second largest city. are using the irregularities happen - second largest city. are using the irregularities happen in i the irregularities happen in terms of the electron good or there was voter suppression? both, both, both. == there was voter suppression? both, both, both.— both, both, both. -- do you think the — both, both, both. -- do you think the regular _ both, both, both. -- do you think the regular trees - both, both, both. -- do you i think the regular trees happen in terms of the electoral rigging? iam sure i am sure they have doubled the votes in the machines they have provided. intimidation, pressure, a lot of people have been scared, a lot of people have been ripped away their id cards, so... have been ripped away their id cards. sou-— cards, so... sorry to interrupt, _ cards, so... sorry to interrupt, i- cards, so... sorry to interrupt, i want - cards, so... sorry to interrupt, i want to l cards, so... sorry to i interrupt, i want to get cards, so... sorry to - interrupt, i want to get this question two. the priming mystery saying any irregularities or violations were confined to just a couple of polling stations — that's a quote, they are saying the government has won almost 54% of the vote, said terms of an independent investigation, do you thing there is a mechanism in place to be able to allow an independent investigation to take place? i independent investigation to take place?—

independent investigation to take lace? ., ., take place? i want to comment, the statement _ take place? i want to comment, the statement by _ take place? i want to comment, the statement by the _ take place? i want to comment, the statement by the prime i the statement by the prime minister of georgia, today, the very prominent georgian ngo civil society members say, they made clear they have very, very important evidence about this 300,000 stolen votes, and probably it will be very much, very important evidence to the courts, but frankly, we don't have the court here in georgia, so we need international investigation, conducted by the very prominent and very important and trusted investigation institutes, we can have conversations with the european parliament, and they are very much concerned and probably you have seen all this reports, by observers. they are not only concerned but they are saying that torture did not have free and fair elections, so please and all investigation

services, we don't have a trust, we don't have, the people don't have a trust, so i hope very soon the georgian people can have their will and will be free and fair elections. khatia dekanoidze. _ free and fair elections. khatia dekanoidze, thank _ free and fair elections. khatia dekanoidze, thank you i free and fair elections. khatia dekanoidze, thank you very i free and fair elections. khatia i dekanoidze, thank you very much forjoining us today. let's get the thoughts of our panel. brian taylor, jess 0'connell, panel. brian taylor, jess o'connell, and jess, that whole question of independent investigation very much up in the air at the moment, yes, lots of people are calling for it but will it happen? 0ne it but will it happen? one might think that if an organisation, a government is confident in the way a vote has been carried out, they would be open to that, but we just don't know. open to that, but we 'ust don't know. ., open to that, but we 'ust don't know. . , ., , , ., know. yeah. obviously, an investigation _ know. yeah. obviously, an investigation looks - know. yeah. obviously, an investigation looks like i know. yeah. obviously, an investigation looks like it l know. yeah. obviously, an i investigation looks like it may be called for, even pre—election, georgia had its human response spend it because of some russian style laws that

were passed there —— eu membership. there are some allegations of interference there. we have to follow the lead of the president there, who said the people will decide, we have seen them showing up and we'll see what they have to say, but it certainly does seem like this is worth further investigation. and we saw earlier this year, around may, nights and nights of protest, didn't we come up on that vote on the so—called floor and influence bill in georgia, so we went to see if the protesters are out on the streets again for many days in a row —— on the so—called foreign influence bill? we saw this in moldova, with the elections there, we are seeing a struggle between russian influence and western influence, aren't we? we are, we are seeing _ influence, aren't we? we are, we are seeing an _ influence, aren't we? we are, we are seeing an ideological. we are seeing an ideological and almost an emotional struggle between ties to russia, which are either russia, which are either voluntary or exercise, and voluntary or exercise, and

wished _ voluntary or exercise, and wished for by one section of wished _ voluntary or exercise, and wished for by one section of the populace, the european the populace, the european union, _ the populace, the european union, it— the populace, the european union, it is by no means a union, _ the populace, the european union, it— the populace, the european union, it is by no means a direct— union, it is by no means a direct comparison, but there direct— union, it is by no means a direct comparison, but there yuri — direct comparison, but there yuri similarly is what the yuri — direct comparison, but there yuri similarly is what the situation in ukraine. 0ne hears situation in ukraine. 0ne hears the please _ situation in ukraine. 0ne hears the please therefore a review the please _ situation in ukraine. 0ne hears the please therefore a review of the — the please therefore a review of the election, it's hard to of the — the please therefore a review of the election, it's hard to see — of the election, it's hard to see the _ see — of the election, it's hard to see the _ of the election, it's hard to see the international pressure that could be exercised, given of the election, it's hard to see the international pressure that could be exercised, given that could be exercised, given that could be exercised, given that the — that the — that could be exercised, given that the incumbent government, that could be exercised, given that the incumbent government, however— however— that the incumbent government, however reelected, wherever one that the incumbent government, however reelected, wherever one questions — however reelected, wherever one questions — however reelected, wherever one questions the ballot papers, how questions the ballot papers, the incumbent government is the incumbent government is insisting _ the incumbent government is insisting that. it is hard to insisting _ the incumbent government is insisting that. it is hard to see — insisting that. it is hard to see what— insisting that. it is hard to see what pressure could be see — insisting that. it is hard to see what— insisting that. it is hard to see what pressure could be exercised or would wish to be exercised or would wish to be exercised _ exercised _ exercised or would wish to be exercised by international exercised or would wish to be exercised by international agencies. the pressure i'm sure agencies. the pressure i'm sure will come — will come — agencies. the pressure i'm sure will come from within, as we are seeing _ agencies. the pressure i'm sure will come from within, as we are seeing _ will come from within, as we are seeing on the streets will come from within, as we are seeing on the streets there _ there _ are seeing on the streets there. ,, are seeing on the streets there. ,, are seeing on the streets there. i. . , , there. do you get much sense are seeing on the streets there. i. . , , there. do you get much sense that, in the — there. do you get much sense that, in the — there. do you get much sense that, in the us, _ that, in the us, _ there. do you get much sense that, in the us, there - there. do you get much sense that, in the us, there is i there. do you get much sense that, in the us, there is a i that, in the us, there is a keen interest in what's there. do you get much sense happening here, or is it more focused on, that's for europe was met we've seen this debate

around nato, haven't we, and that, in the us, there -

here in the uk, the prime minister has said there are tax rises to come in a speech ahead of wednesday's budget — but that "working people" would be protected. sir keir starmer promised that the money would be used to "rebuild public services" and that he would prevent a return to what he called "devastating austerity" — but that the country had to "embrace the harsh light of fiscal reality". here he is speaking earlier. this is not 1997. when the economy was decent, the public services were on their knees. it is not 2010, or public services work strong but the public finances were weak. we have to deal with both sides of that coin. these are unprecedented circumstances. but the budget the chancellor will deliver on wednesday prevent overstating two

devastating austerity and prevent a disastrous path for my public finances. it is the reality of what would happen if we had stuck to tory spending plans. and it's why we never, unlike the opposition plans. and it's why we nev