SImultaneously exploded across lebanon In what appeared to be a sophIstIcated remote attack. Hezbollah, whIch has Been desIgnated a TerrorIst OrganIsatIon by the uk, Israel and other western countrIes, has called It the bIggest securIty breach. At least nIne people dIed and nearly 3000 were Injured. Blasts were reported In supermarkets, homes and on the streets of the country, whIch shares borders wIth Israel and syrIa. Lebanons Health MInIstry says 200 people are In a crItIcal condItIon and that hospItals are beIng Inundated wIth the wounded. 0ur Correspondent Graham satchell reports. It was an audacIous, unprecedented attack. All across lebanon, thousands of pagers explodIng at the same tIme. Many were on the street. Some, lIke here, In peoples homes. Some In supermarkets. Emergency servIces struggled to cope wIth the scale of the attack. Thousands of hezbollah members sufferIng InjurIes In the same Instant. Israel hasnt commented, but few have any doubts about Its role. So how was I
Diverting forces, resources And energy towArds the north. These events confirms thAt there is A serious risk of A drAmAtic escAlAtion in lebAnon, And everything must be done to Avoid thAt escAlAtion. Hello And welcome. On the context in the next hour. After A second dAy of deAdly explosions Across lebAnon, tArgeting hezbollAh, well be live injerusAlem, lebAnon And wAshington. IsrAeli leAders sAy theyre opening A new phAse in the wAr, And the Centre Of GrAvity is shifting to the north. Well Ask whAt does thAt meAn . Also on the progrAmme the us CentrAl BAnk goes big with its first Interest RAte Cut in four yeArs, lowering its key Lending RAte by hAlf A PercentAge Point. And who is briefing AgAinst the LAbour Chief of stAff Sue GrAy And why . As the bbc is told she eArns more thAn her boss the prime minister. We stArt in lebAnon, where theres been A fresh wAve of explosions Across the country, which hAve killed At leAst 1A people, with more thAn A50 injured. HAnd held rAdios or WAlkie TA
Joining me tonight are political Strategist And Commentator Rina Shah and columnist for the i and former Labour Executive Director of Policy Andrew Fisher first , the latest headlines. Israels Defence Minister has said the military is opening a new phase in the war, and will be diverting troops and resources northwards. Yoav gallant was speaking to troops at an airbase near the border with lebanon. It comes as 14 people have been killed and at least a50 injured in further explosions across lebanon involving Walkie Talkies. The us Federal Reserve has cut Interest Rates by half a Percentage Point in its first reduction since the pandemic. It puts the Central Banks benchmark Lending Rate at between 4. 75 and 5 , sharply lowering the cost of borrowing with less than 50 days to go until the us president ial election. The Foreign Office has summoned the russian ambassador to the uk over the expulsion of six british diplomats from moscow. A spokesperson Accused Moscow Of Making malicious and
Lets take a quick look at a few of the stories on the Front Pages. Starting with the Daily Telegraph, the headline on the Front Page, of course, we have been talking about it, new phase of Mideast War after Walkie Talkie blitz. If we move on to the guardian, unsurprisingly, the top Story Tonight on newsnight again is on the Front Page, fears of escalation as Second Wave of deadly explosions hits 11 on. And the Daily Express has the same headline, or a very similar one, Walkie Talkie blasts in Second Wave of attacks, against hezbollah up to his following page explosions. And the daily mirror, after pager attack, Walkie Talkie bomb blitz, everyone seems to go with those headlines and as i say, unsurprising. The Daily Mail has come labour has undermined israel, says netanyahu. And I Think finally, there is the daily star, the king of the carriages. They have a different Front Page Keir Starmer, we havejust been have a different Front Page Keir Starmer, we have just been talking about it.
Delivered a supersized cut aimed at bolstering the us market. The first in over four years brings its key interest rate, the federal funds rate, its key interest rate, the federalfunds rate, down to between 4. 75 and 5 . It comes amid signs that inflation in america is continuing to fall while Thejob Market America is continuing to fall while the Job Market remains strong as unemployment has risen this year. Risen this year. The Labour Market is risen this year. The Labour Market is actually risen this year. The Labour Market is actually in risen this year. The Labour Market is actually in solid| market is actually in solid condition, and our intention with condition, and our intention with our condition, and our intention with our Policy Move to is to keep with our Policy Move to is to keep it with our Policy Move to is to keep it there. You can say that about keep it there. You can say that about the keep it there. You can say that about the whole economy. The us economy about the wh