:00:14. > :00:23.At the Olympic Park - hours away from tonight's Paralympic opening
:00:23. > :00:29.ceremony. The torch is on its way after a 24 hour relayed through
:00:29. > :00:35.London's landmarks. The Paralympics is the game of the possible. It is
:00:35. > :00:39.about what you can do rather than what you cannot. There will be
:00:39. > :00:45.60,000 in the stadium tonight. More than 2.5 million tickets have
:00:45. > :00:50.already been sold. We are really excited. It is raining, but it is
:00:50. > :00:54.not dampening the spirits. I cannot wait to get inside and see the
:00:54. > :00:58.stadium and the athletes. biggest Paralympics ever - we will
:00:58. > :01:04.have the latest on the sporting prospects and the ceremony.
:01:04. > :01:08.Also tonight: Should the rich pay more to help the economic recovery?
:01:08. > :01:13.Nick Clegg calls for a temporary tax rise for the wealthiest in
:01:13. > :01:16.society. Hurricane Isaac makes its way
:01:16. > :01:24.inland after hitting Louisiana, bringing heavy rain and winds of up
:01:24. > :01:34.to 70 miles an hour. Andrew Strauss, one of England's
:01:34. > :02:01.
:02:01. > :02:06.most successful cricket captains Good evening. Welcome today News at
:02:06. > :02:10.Six from the Olympic Park, we are just hours away from the opening
:02:10. > :02:15.ceremony. The Queen and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be
:02:15. > :02:19.here. They will be joining more than 60,000 people in the stadium.
:02:19. > :02:28.The Paralympic flame is on its way after its 24 hour journey through
:02:28. > :02:33.London. Our correspondent has been tracking it every step of the way.
:02:33. > :02:37.Outside Britain's first traditional Hindu temple, colour and excitement.
:02:37. > :02:41.The crowds around this magnificent building have been waiting for a
:02:41. > :02:46.glimpse of the Paralympic flame since dawn. The delay had
:02:46. > :02:51.heightened their excitement. Unlike the Olympic relay, this flame had
:02:51. > :02:55.been carried through the night, past the sleeping communities of
:02:55. > :02:59.Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire and into London's suburbs. The
:02:59. > :03:05.teams had conquered their own disabilities, often with the help
:03:05. > :03:09.of others. Among them, the family members who gave up their time to
:03:09. > :03:15.ensure wheelchair racer, Hannah Cockroft achieved her dream. Be it
:03:15. > :03:24.is amazing to be here. I'm amazed they are so many people here.
:03:24. > :03:29.proud I can be part of all this. She will be racing at the
:03:29. > :03:35.Paralympic Games, it is all coming together, it is great. Winding its
:03:35. > :03:44.way towards the West End, the procession drew in the UK's first
:03:44. > :03:48.UK women's cricket team at Lord's. Posed for a photocall at London Zoo.
:03:48. > :03:52.And tracked pass some of the most iconic Sykes, accompanied by iconic
:03:52. > :03:58.figures who have shown us hope and determination can triumph over
:03:58. > :04:03.despair. In Trafalgar Square the cheers rang out for Dame Tanni
:04:03. > :04:07.Grey-Thompson and boxer, Michael Watson. I feel very appreciated
:04:07. > :04:17.with the love that comes into my life. It brings back a lot of
:04:17. > :04:20.
:04:20. > :04:25.memories. When things looked helpless, there is always hope.
:04:25. > :04:31.the rain fell, progress slowed, but the enthusiasm of the crowds was
:04:32. > :04:37.unabated. Even before the opening ceremony, a worldwide audience has
:04:37. > :04:41.engaged in this sporting spectacles. I hope what people get from the
:04:41. > :04:46.Paralympic Torch Relay is, the Paralympics is the games of the
:04:46. > :04:51.possible, it is about what you can do, rather than what you cannot.
:04:51. > :04:57.This really is a sprint, rather than a marathon. But the weather
:04:57. > :05:02.has thinned out the crowd. But also there is a need to travel at a more
:05:02. > :05:07.gentle pace. The convoy is two hours late, and despite every
:05:07. > :05:12.effort, there has been great difficulty catching up. Plans are
:05:12. > :05:16.in place to ensure delays do not affect tonight's timetable. The
:05:16. > :05:24.flame which was born last night, were like the way to a contest
:05:24. > :05:28.likely to move us all. The opening ceremony will be a show
:05:28. > :05:35.called A enlightenment and it will feature Professor Stephen Hawkins
:05:35. > :05:39.in a starring role. Alongside a host of artists and local children.
:05:39. > :05:47.Some of those taking part have been talking to James Pearce, outside
:05:47. > :05:52.the stadium now. It has been quiet for the past 17 days. It is not
:05:52. > :05:57.tonight. The smiles, excitement is back and the momentum generated by
:05:57. > :06:03.the Olympics has continued. Nearly 2.5 million tickets have been sold
:06:03. > :06:08.for the Paralympics. Here we go again - the gates are open for
:06:08. > :06:14.London 2012, Park two. The red, white and blue is back, the
:06:14. > :06:19.Paralympics are about to begin. These are the people many of the
:06:19. > :06:25.spectators will want to watch, ParalympicsGB, the official name of
:06:25. > :06:30.the British team. Being here now is what stuff dreams are made of. You
:06:31. > :06:37.cannot put it into words. To be here, captain of the team for
:06:37. > :06:41.wheelchair rugby is a fantastic achievement. At Trinity School in
:06:41. > :06:46.Dagenham, a very exciting gathering. These pupils with learning
:06:46. > :06:50.difficulties are heading to the Olympic Park. This is the day they
:06:50. > :06:54.had been waiting for, weeks of rehearsals are over. Tonight they
:06:54. > :07:03.will perform at the opening ceremony. We have been sworn to
:07:03. > :07:09.secrecy. We are doing the Robin Hood story with the box. Most of
:07:09. > :07:13.the secrets remain intact. world awaken to the Paralympic
:07:13. > :07:17.Games and the Paralympic movement. But now we are moving into
:07:17. > :07:21.sustained growth. A premium sports competition with incredible
:07:21. > :07:26.athletes. Not just from their performance, but the type of people
:07:26. > :07:30.they are. Meanwhile, the pupils from Trinity School are on their
:07:30. > :07:33.way. They are not the only ones who are excited - these Paralympics
:07:33. > :07:38.will be the biggest and looks set to be the best.
:07:38. > :07:43.There are few hundred tickets on sale for the opening ceremony, the
:07:43. > :07:49.most expensive, �500. He might not be a sell-out, but these games are
:07:49. > :07:55.a sell-out. That is unprecedented. As far as what we can see in the
:07:55. > :08:00.opening ceremony, we will see Professor Stephen Hawking. We will
:08:00. > :08:03.see some gold and wheelchairs travelling with athletes on board,
:08:03. > :08:12.down from the orbit and into the stadium ahead of the lighting of
:08:12. > :08:17.the torch. It should be spectacular. We can talk to great hunter, the
:08:17. > :08:23.man in charge of ParalympicsGB. The competition starts tomorrow. What
:08:23. > :08:27.is the mood like a month the team? Expectation. Opening ceremony this
:08:27. > :08:32.evening, so some of the team members will be participating.
:08:32. > :08:36.Those who are not competing in the first couple of days. Those who are
:08:36. > :08:41.competing, will be be reasonably early night, up early tomorrow
:08:41. > :08:46.ready for the competition. Team GB had an amazing performance, does
:08:46. > :08:52.that add to the pressure on your athlete? No, it is a huge
:08:52. > :08:56.inspiration. They know how well the Olympic team did, our paralympian
:08:56. > :09:04.is are hugely proud and want to suppress the target of 103 medals.
:09:04. > :09:07.It will be tough, but I think they are ready. Thank you. I will be
:09:07. > :09:12.back with more from the Olympic Park later, but for now back to
:09:12. > :09:15.Kate Silverton with the rest of the news.
:09:15. > :09:19.The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg has called for an emergency
:09:19. > :09:24.tax on Britain's wealthiest people, saying the rich should shoulder
:09:24. > :09:28.more of the UK economic pain. But the Chancellor has warned against
:09:28. > :09:32.driving away the wealth creators and businesses are saying they will
:09:32. > :09:38.lead the economic recovery. This is James Landale.
:09:38. > :09:42.Russia of the rich pay more tax as the rest of us face more cuts? As
:09:42. > :09:46.the years of austerity stretch ahead, Nick Clegg said yes. He
:09:46. > :09:50.declared people with considerable wealth have to make an extra
:09:50. > :09:54.contribution. In other words - a short-term tax to squeeze the
:09:54. > :09:59.better off. This proposal is that we have for some years, a limited
:09:59. > :10:03.time, other taxes that apply to people's wealth and of their income
:10:03. > :10:07.as a way of making sure people who can afford to pay to help us out of
:10:07. > :10:12.the economic mess, make a contribution. The Liberal Democrats
:10:12. > :10:17.have argued those owning large properties should pay more tax. A
:10:18. > :10:23.mansion tax was considered at the last Budget. Mr Clegg wants to go
:10:23. > :10:27.further and tax wealth in more ways, an idea he hopes will prove
:10:27. > :10:31.distinctive has hit his party's troubles in the polls. They could
:10:31. > :10:37.be a new Inheritance tax, where the rich pay more money they inherit. A
:10:37. > :10:42.new tax and the value of people's land, not just houses. And a so-
:10:42. > :10:46.called tycoon tax which caps how much rich people can shelter from
:10:46. > :10:51.the taxman. The Government has admitted it is likely to cut
:10:51. > :10:54.welfare by another �10 million after the next election. The Lib
:10:55. > :11:00.Dems think it will only be fair for people who drive cars like this, to
:11:00. > :11:06.pay a bit more tax at the same time. But the man who decides tax policy
:11:06. > :11:09.is sceptical. Yes, the rich should pay their share, but? I one not
:11:09. > :11:14.write my budget months before it is delivered. But are we must not
:11:14. > :11:17.drive away wealth creators and businesses this country needs to
:11:17. > :11:21.compete and earned its way in the world. And that is the only way we
:11:21. > :11:27.will create jobs for everyone. Political opponents say this is a
:11:27. > :11:32.policy for his party conference, a plan that lacks detail, designed to
:11:32. > :11:37.boost his flagging support among voters and the Lib Dems. He is
:11:37. > :11:42.chasing headlines, placate some angry Lib Dem supporters and former
:11:42. > :11:46.voters at a time when they are exasperated by the fact what he is
:11:46. > :11:51.doing in Government, the opposite of what he is saying. A new debate
:11:51. > :11:58.over tax has begun. A call from Nick Clegg the portion shouldn't
:11:58. > :12:05.face austerity alone. But there is no detail as how much more tax he
:12:05. > :12:08.wants the rich to hand over. They have been two major security
:12:08. > :12:13.alerts at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. Miss communication was
:12:13. > :12:18.blamed after two fighter jets were scrambled to escort a passenger
:12:18. > :12:22.plane from Spain, amid fears of hijacking. Part of the airport were
:12:22. > :12:25.evacuated following the discovery of an unexploded Second World War
:12:25. > :12:30.bomb. Hurricane Isaac is moving slowly in
:12:30. > :12:40.LAN, after hitting the post of Louisiana overnight, bringing heavy
:12:40. > :12:42.
:12:42. > :12:45.rain and winds gusting up to 100 miles an hour. Water has flooded
:12:45. > :12:49.defences in New Orleans which is battling The City seven years after
:12:49. > :12:54.New Orleans was hit by Hurricane Katrina.
:12:54. > :13:00.With daylight, came the first hint of the power of Hurricane Isaac. As
:13:00. > :13:04.predicted, it struck New Orleans, battering its suburbs, cutting
:13:04. > :13:11.electricity to hundreds and thousands of people, causing
:13:11. > :13:15.widespread wind damage. The storm hit as darkness fell, adding to the
:13:15. > :13:20.uncertainty as high winds battered the city and a wide stretch of
:13:20. > :13:24.coastline either side. Isaac strength and just before it struck
:13:24. > :13:28.land. Many people had decided to sit out the storm, confident it
:13:28. > :13:34.wouldn't be as big as Hurricane Katrina which devastated the city
:13:34. > :13:38.seven years ago today. The storm slowed down as it made land and
:13:38. > :13:42.became more unpredictable. Winds were gusting at 100 miles an hour.
:13:43. > :13:46.But it is the water people are afraid of. The fact you have the
:13:46. > :13:50.storm surge being pushed in by the hurricane and the volume of water
:13:50. > :13:55.that is coming down. This storm is moving slowly and it is this heavy
:13:56. > :14:01.rain which could cause flooding. One small community just outside
:14:01. > :14:06.the city's newly reinforced club defences it was inundated, as water
:14:06. > :14:10.rushed over a levy. The flood reached some rooftops in
:14:10. > :14:19.Braithwaite and dozens of people needed to be rescued as the water
:14:19. > :14:23.level rose. It is horrible. Nobody has got a house in Braithwaite.
:14:23. > :14:27.were trying to leave, but trying to drive, you could not see anything
:14:27. > :14:31.in front of your face. It is hard to know the extent of flooding
:14:31. > :14:36.until the storm passes, but the authorities were confident the
:14:36. > :14:41.flood defences around New Orleans would halt. All along the Louisiana
:14:41. > :14:46.and Mississippi coast, behind winds and storm surge threatened
:14:46. > :14:56.widespread flooding. It is not Hurricane Katrina, but it is a big
:14:56. > :15:00.storm and people are hoping it will soon be over.
:15:00. > :15:03.The top story tonight: Organisers of the London Paralympics are
:15:03. > :15:07.making final preparations for tonight's opening ceremony, which
:15:07. > :15:11.gets under way in just over two hours.
:15:11. > :15:16.Coming up - a defiant Ahmed Ghailani of Syria gives an
:15:16. > :15:26.interview about the conflict raging in his country, blaming a foreign
:15:26. > :15:27.
:15:27. > :15:37.conspiracy and dismissing calls for Later in business, Ryanair's bid
:15:37. > :15:38.
:15:38. > :15:41.for Aer Lingus will be investigated by competition authorities. He's
:15:41. > :15:43.been one of England's most high- profile cricket captains, but today
:15:43. > :15:47.Andrew Strauss announced his resignation and his retirement from
:15:47. > :15:49.all forms of the sport. He said his decision to quit was not related to
:15:49. > :15:52.the row involving England's premier batsman, Kevin Pietersen, who was
:15:52. > :15:55.dropped for sending provocative texts to members of the South
:15:55. > :15:58.African team. He said it was more to do with his form. This report
:15:58. > :16:08.from our sports correspondent, Joe Wilson, contains some flash
:16:08. > :16:14.
:16:14. > :16:19.photography. Leading from the front, that's how Andrew Strauss described
:16:19. > :16:23.his role. So often that's what he did. Sadly, he's spent much of this
:16:23. > :16:30.year going backwards. England lost to South Africa and slipped off top
:16:30. > :16:36.spot in the world rankings. Today, he had the air of a man relieved to
:16:36. > :16:42.retire. In truth, I haven't batted well enough for a long period of
:16:42. > :16:45.time now and I think for a captain it perform properly it's important
:16:45. > :16:49.that you are not a passenger in the side, but also that people aren't
:16:49. > :16:55.speculating as to whether you should be in the side or not.
:16:55. > :17:00.Despite his recent problems, his career as a batsman was excellent.
:17:00. > :17:07.Spanning 100 Test matches he scored over 7,000 runs, making 21
:17:07. > :17:11.centuries. One short of the all- time record, but his value as a cap
:17:11. > :17:15.-- captain was even greater. England beat Australia at home and
:17:15. > :17:18.away to retain the Ashes and they became officially the number one
:17:18. > :17:28.Test team. A tough act to follow indeed for the new captain,
:17:28. > :17:32.Alastair Cook. I've got huge boots to fill following Straussy, who has
:17:32. > :17:36.done an incredible job. It's a sad dressingroom yesterday when we
:17:36. > :17:42.found out. That speaks volumes for what he's done for the side.
:17:42. > :17:46.big challenge is a familiar one, a thorny one - what to do about Kevin
:17:47. > :17:53.Pietersen. Can he possibly be rehabilitated into England's
:17:53. > :17:57.dressingroom after he lost the trust of the last captain? Remember
:17:57. > :18:03.the provocative texts he sent about players. He's not been forgiven.
:18:03. > :18:08.Now there is a new man there, perhaps they can gets heads around
:18:08. > :18:11.the table. Alastair Cook said nothing had changed and so did
:18:11. > :18:15.Andrew Strauss. It's a very close decision as to whether he goes on
:18:15. > :18:19.back into the team. As for Strauss, well, after his final media
:18:19. > :18:21.conference, he was applauded by journalists.
:18:21. > :18:28.APPLAUSE That doesn't happen often. At the
:18:28. > :18:32.very least, he deserves a dignified exit. The former editor of the News
:18:32. > :18:34.of the World in Scotland, Bob Bird, has been charged with attempting to
:18:34. > :18:38.pervert the course of justice. The allegation relates to a defamation
:18:38. > :18:41.case involving the newspaper and the former MSP Tommy Sheridan.
:18:41. > :18:51.James Cook is at Govan Police Station in Glasgow. James, remind
:18:51. > :18:52.
:18:52. > :18:56.us of the background to this. dates back to a series of fairly
:18:56. > :19:00.lured stories, which Bob Bird's newspaper published about the
:19:00. > :19:04.former Scottish Socialist Party leader, as far back as 2004. Mr
:19:04. > :19:09.Sheridan sued the newspaper and ultimately won in a defamation case
:19:09. > :19:13.in 2006 and it was that case which was the focus for the police who
:19:13. > :19:19.were questioning Mr Bird today. He was detained at home here in
:19:19. > :19:23.Glasgow at around 7.30am. He was brought here where he was
:19:23. > :19:27.questioned for nearly four hours and he was then formally arrested
:19:27. > :19:32.and charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice. He
:19:32. > :19:36.gave this brief statement. Just wanted to say I'm really sad and
:19:37. > :19:44.disappointed that things have come to this today. I've always tried to
:19:44. > :19:50.do the right thing in my career, throughout my 40-odd years in
:19:50. > :19:53.journalism and I will be denying the charges laid against me. Well,
:19:53. > :19:57.of course, Tommy Sheridan himself was later jailed for perjury as a
:19:57. > :20:03.result of his evidence at that case and two other former News of the
:20:03. > :20:05.World men, editor in Scotland, Douglas White and the Prime
:20:05. > :20:09.Minister's Director of Communications, Andy Coulson, who
:20:09. > :20:12.used to edit the newspaper, also face charges in relation to that
:20:12. > :20:16.perjury case. Now, they all three men involved in this, deny the
:20:16. > :20:22.charges and it's now up to Scottish prosecutors to decide how to
:20:22. > :20:29.proceed. Thank you. In a separate development, a former Times
:20:29. > :20:35.journalist has been arrested on suspicion of computer hacking.
:20:35. > :20:38.Patrick Foster's arrest relates to a report in 2009 talking about the
:20:39. > :20:41.NightJack blog. In Syria, President Assad has given an interview saying
:20:42. > :20:44.he needs more time to defeat rebels fighting to overthrow him. Speaking
:20:44. > :20:47.to a pro-government television channel, Mr Assad also dismissed an
:20:47. > :20:57.idea of creating safe havens for Syrians forced from their homes by
:20:57. > :20:59.
:20:59. > :21:04.the violence. Here's our diplomatic correspondent, James Robbins. The
:21:04. > :21:08.fighting in Syria rages on. There is no end in sight to civil war
:21:08. > :21:16.between the regime and rebels. The daily death toll is regularly over
:21:16. > :21:24.100. So now, on a pro-government TV station, the President is trying to
:21:24. > :21:27.seize back the initiative. TRANSLATION: I can cut short all
:21:27. > :21:30.the explanations with one sentence. We are moving forward. Packically
:21:30. > :21:34.the situation is better. He needs to convince those still loyal that
:21:34. > :21:40.they are winning, not losing Syria's civil war. The situation on
:21:40. > :21:45.the ground is better now, he says, but is it? What started as peaceful
:21:45. > :21:49.protests 18 months ago in Deraa was met with overwhelming force and has
:21:49. > :21:54.become an increasingly bloody contest. Even today, there are
:21:54. > :21:58.reports of violence in Damascus and Aleppo and across the country.
:21:58. > :22:02.Another big challenge is from defectors. The President dismisss
:22:03. > :22:07.that as self-cleansing of the Government. When Syria's Prime
:22:07. > :22:10.Minister fled three weeks ago it did add to the sense of a regime in
:22:10. > :22:17.trouble, particularly so soon after Assad's brother in law and others
:22:17. > :22:21.key to fighting the rebels were killed by a massive bomb. Syria's
:22:21. > :22:26.current Prime Minister flew to Iran today, a nation which is an
:22:26. > :22:35.important ally, but the UN used this summit meeting to urge Iran to
:22:35. > :22:39.help make peace in Syria, not war. Iran has a very important role, a
:22:39. > :22:46.crucially important role to play in the region, particularly when it
:22:46. > :22:51.comes to a civilian situation. These are some of Syria's most
:22:51. > :22:55.vulnerable, refugees stranded in No Man's Land as Turkey struggles to
:22:55. > :23:02.build more camps. Amid deep international division and no end
:23:02. > :23:04.to the fighting President Assad hopes that time may still be on his
:23:05. > :23:07.side. Mitt Romney has been officially confirmed as the
:23:07. > :23:10.Republican candidate to challenge President Obama in the US election
:23:10. > :23:13.in November. At the party's convention in Florida- his wife Ann
:23:13. > :23:18.said her husband would move heaven and earth to make America a better
:23:18. > :23:27.place to live. Her speech was part of a campaign to improve Mr
:23:27. > :23:32.Romney's appeal to women voters. For more on the Paralympics, let's
:23:32. > :23:36.go to George at the Olympic Park. Thanks Kate. Welcome back to east
:23:36. > :23:39.London, where it all gets under way in just over two hours. The Queen
:23:39. > :23:48.will be here for the opening ceremony and hopes are high for the
:23:48. > :23:55.organisers and the athletes. There been a delay in getting the torch
:23:55. > :24:01.on schedule and a second breakaway flame is on its way. David joins me
:24:02. > :24:05.now. Tonight will set the tone. That's right, as with Danny Boyle's
:24:05. > :24:11.opening, almost a month ago, which seems hard to believe, that really
:24:11. > :24:13.set the momentum for the entire event which followed. Get it right
:24:13. > :24:18.tonight and the Paralympics organisers will feel they're off to
:24:18. > :24:21.a flying start. Ultimately, this is about world-class sport and the
:24:21. > :24:27.organisers will hope that once tomorrow comes it's the world-class
:24:27. > :24:30.sport and the unforgetable sporting moments that people will start to
:24:30. > :24:34.focus on. We'll talk about those moments. There will be some
:24:34. > :24:40.disciplines that none of us will have seen before. Inevitably many
:24:40. > :24:42.of the 2.5 million people who will come here and to the other venues
:24:42. > :24:47.around London, won't have seen par limb picks or disability sport
:24:47. > :24:52.before. There are many more events and many more classifications. For
:24:53. > :24:56.example, there are 29 different 100 metres finals in athletics and
:24:56. > :25:01.there are 148 gold medals up for grabs in swimming. Compare that
:25:01. > :25:05.with 34 in swimming in the Olympic Games, so people are going to be
:25:05. > :25:07.quite challenged by this, but I think what's beyond doubt is the
:25:08. > :25:12.public enthusiasm for world-class competition. We've seen that with
:25:12. > :25:16.the Games and you can see it tonight with people flooding in.
:25:16. > :25:23.The next ten days, London will again be at the sent are of the
:25:23. > :25:27.sporting world. Thank you. You can follow the opening ceremony this
:25:28. > :25:31.evening at 8.30pm on BBC Radio 5 as well as BBC online. And you can see
:25:31. > :25:41.it live on Channel 4. Let's take a look at the weather now with Nick
:25:41. > :25:45.
:25:45. > :25:49.The weather has thrown everything but the kitchen sink at the torch
:25:49. > :25:53.relay this afternoon. This is today's rainfall. One band of rain
:25:53. > :25:57.and gusty winds sweeping east and lots of heavy and thundery showers
:25:57. > :26:00.following on behind. If you avoided one of these, well done. Things now
:26:00. > :26:04.starting to improve. There may still be a shower or two over the
:26:04. > :26:08.next couple of hours in London, but for the opening ceremony it is
:26:08. > :26:12.looking mainly dry this evening. Just a slim chance of a passing
:26:12. > :26:16.shower. Showers elsewhere across the UK. This area south across the
:26:16. > :26:21.east of Scotland, there will be showers in Yorkshire and Wales and
:26:21. > :26:25.western England and along the south coast and rurally, there will be a
:26:25. > :26:28.chill as some of us dip into single figures. Into tomorrow, more will
:26:29. > :26:31.escape dry. Early rain in south- east Scotland and into Yorkshire
:26:31. > :26:36.will clear. Afternoon showers in central and eastern England. To the
:26:36. > :26:39.north and west it will be dryer, but don't expect warmth in the sun
:26:39. > :26:43.across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England. You will look
:26:43. > :26:48.at the temperatures and you'll think, is that it? Yep. Into the
:26:48. > :26:54.mid-teens. You have the sun, and it will appear across the country in
:26:54. > :26:57.the afternoon. The odd showers into the Midlands though, and thunder in
:26:57. > :27:01.East Anglia and the south-east. Fading as we head to the evening. A
:27:01. > :27:04.chilly night for all on Thursday night. On Friday, rain is back to
:27:04. > :27:08.Northern Ireland, Scotland, parts of northern England. To the south,
:27:08. > :27:15.though, it's dry and bright. That north and south split survives into
:27:15. > :27:19.the start of the weekend. Sun further south. One final words -
:27:19. > :27:22.the rain is nowhere near the scale of what Hurricane Isaac is
:27:22. > :27:25.delivering in Louisiana and Mississippi. Up to 500 millimetres,
:27:25. > :27:29.close to 20 inches in the next couple of days. Rain only just
:27:29. > :27:34.starting. It will rain for many starting. It will rain for many
:27:34. > :27:36.more hours to come. A reminder of tonight's main news - organisers of
:27:36. > :27:39.the London Paralympics are making final preparations for tonight's