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
Let me show you the moment one let me show you the moment one of the pagers exploded in the of the pagers exploded in the supermarket in beirut. He heard supermarket in beirut. He the blast and saw people of the pagers exploded in the Sup Blast Ket in beirut. He of the pagers exploded in the Sup Blast and n beirut. He of the pagers exploded in the Sup Blast and saw lirut. He of the pagers exploded in the Sup Blast and Saw Peoplee the blast and saw people rushing away, the blast on the rushing away, the blast on the left Hand Side in the left Hand Side in the foreground of these pictures in foreground of these pictures a Bag Being carried by a man. Left Hand Side in the Fl Bag Ound of these pictures left Hand Side in the Fl Bag being f these pictures left Hand Side in the Fl Bag being carried pictures left Hand Side in the Fl Bag being carried by ctures left Hand Side in the Fl Bag being carried by a ures left Hand Side in the 0ther a Bag Being carried by a man. Other videos posted onli
A supermarket in beirut. Other videos posted online show people with injuries, some of them severe. These are pictures inside one hospital being overwhelmed by the number of people injured. The lebanese government are appealing to citizens to donate blood and to ditch their pagers if they have one. The incidents happened in the groups strongholds in Southern Lebanon and beirut. Also injured in the attack was irans ambassador to lebanon, mojtaba amani, whos in a stable condition in hospital. Our diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams has more. Iwarning, i warning, there are description images from the start. This was a devastating attack. In supermarkets. On the street, in cars, at home and even in barbershops scores, perhaps hundreds, of hezbollah members simultaneously injured by exploding pagers. Incidents reported from all over lebanon, from beirut to the bekaa valley, and even in neighbouring syria. Each explosion was small, but some left terrible injuries, more than 2700 wounded, acc
Hezbollah fighters targeted by exploding pagers. There arent many parts of the world where pagers are still a thing. But a few months ago the his Brother Leader Hassan Nasrallah called on his fighters, those on the front lines, to stop using smartphones because israel he said had the technology to infiltrate the signal. But it seems israel also had access to the company manufacturing the pagers, or some part of the supply line. Each was fitted with a small amount of explosive, that was somehow triggered by a Signal Israel controlled. Unwittingly his brother have done israels bidding. Handing out pagers to loyalists who for weeks would be carrying them on their person. Until today when simultaneously they exploded. Almost 3000 people have been wounded. Including many who were standing near the target. A little girl is said to be among the dead. Leavens to be among the dead. Health minister said the leavens Health Minister said the explosion was a major Escalation in the region. Were See