1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,760 Speaker 1: Vincent Mecavini is at UK Europe correspondent. He's with us 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: this morning. Vincent, welcome to the show. Good to have 3 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: you back. 4 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 2: Good morning. 5 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: Tell me about this secret secretive islands in the Indian Ocean. 6 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, a bit closer to your part of the world. 7 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 2: The Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean have been used 8 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 2: by the UK for the last fifty years. They've had 9 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 2: sovereignty over them. They were given that by Mauritius and 10 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 2: the UK has operated a military base there on Diego Garcia, 11 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 2: and this involved moving off the Chegossian people who are 12 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 2: relocated here to the UK and have a long time 13 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 2: protest on this. But this military base, now used jointly 14 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 2: by the UK and the US, is a top secret facility. 15 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 2: It's used for US long range bombing. It's seen as 16 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:51,919 Speaker 2: a critical point for their sort of global power projection, 17 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 2: particularly in Southeast Asia and with a sort of resurgent China. 18 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 2: But this deal has been announced now because of ongoing 19 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 2: protests that the UK will hand back sovereignty too Mauritius 20 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 2: of the islands, but they'll be able to keep control 21 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 2: of Diego Garcia and that special US UK military base 22 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:14,759 Speaker 2: for Navy ships and as I said, long range bombers 23 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 2: for at least the next ninety nine years, in a 24 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 2: bit of a landmark deal for Kirstama's new government. 25 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: And also this morning the flights that are coming out 26 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,119 Speaker 1: of Lebanon for UK citizens they're going aheit. 27 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right. There have been evacuation flights charted in 28 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 2: part by our Foreign Office to get British people out 29 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 2: of Lebanon, but it's unclear how much longer they'll be 30 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 2: able to operate going in and out of the Beirut Airport. 31 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 2: So what we believe is going on now, and we 32 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 2: have some confirmation, is that there's been an increase in 33 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 2: personnel at a UK military base in Cyprus that's aquitary 34 00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 2: an RAF base, and they're looking to potentially evacuate via sea. 35 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 2: They would deploy ships from the Royal Navy and get 36 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 2: British people who are no longer able to fly out 37 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 2: if they decide to go given the war now with Israel, 38 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 2: they'll take them out by boat and then bring them 39 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 2: to Cyprus. We know already that earlier in the week 40 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,799 Speaker 2: military assets, navy vessels in the Mediterranean, and we think 41 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 2: planes from Aquitari that base in Cypress. We use to 42 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 2: help defend Israel when it came under that huge bombardment 43 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 2: of rockets from Iran, and the UK government is saying 44 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 2: that it will continue to defend Israel should it come 45 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 2: under attack again. 46 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:38,559 Speaker 1: All right, thanks so much for that. That's Slincton mcavinnie, 47 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: Europe Correspondent. 48 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 2: For more from news Talks, it'd be listen live on 49 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 2: here or online, and keep our shows with you wherever 50 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 2: you go with our podcasts on IR Radio.