First time for hardtalk. Welcome to hardtalk. Im stephen sackur. Israels intensifying Military Assault on lebanon has involved everything from Booby Trapped electronic devices to bunker busting bombs. As the Death Toll mounts, prime Minister Netanyahu says the target isnt the people of lebanon, its the armed militant group hezbollah, which continues to fire rockets into israel. So what, if anything, can the lebanese Government do to stave off a Gaza Style Catastrophe . My guest is lebanons economy minister, Amin Salam. Is his Government the very definition of powerless . Minister Amin Salam in beirut, welcome to hardtalk. Thank you, stephen. Pleasure being with you. Thank you forjoining me. War is happening to lebanon, war is happening to lebanon, minister, and yet war minister, and yet war is the last thing that is the last thing that lebanon wants. Lebanon wants. How does that make how does that make you feel right now . You feel right now . You said it, stephen. You said it, stephen
A21 a 21 day ceasefire along the israeli lebanese border will generate significant support from europe as well as the arab nations. I will have more to say tomorrow. There s been no indication yet from israel or hezbollah if they will agree to the terms of the proposed ceasefire. It all comes as israel continued deadly air raids in southern lebanon on wednesday, killing at least 72 people, according to lebanon s health ministry. It brings the death toll from israeli strikes in lebanon to nearly 600 just this week. Lebanon says a quarter of those killed have been women and chlidren. Israel s military chief has told troops that israel s air strikes could pave the way for a possible ground invasion into lebanon. Israel said wednesday it intercepted a ballistic missile fired by hezbollah towards tel aviv the first such rocket to target the city. The un secretary general warned wednesday that hell is breaking loose in lebanon. Antonio guterres made the remarks at an emergency security cou
Minister amin salam in beirut, minister amin salam in beirut, welcome to hardtalk. Welcome to hardtalk. In gaza, through diplomatic thank you, stephen. Thank you, stephen. Pleasure being with you. Pleasure being with you. Thank you forjoining me. Thank you forjoining me. War is happening to lebanon, war is happening to lebanon, minister, and yet war minister, and yet war is the last thing that is the last thing that lebanon wants. Lebanon wants. How does that make how does that make you feel right now? you feel right now? you said it, stephen. You said it, stephen. It s the last thing we need. It s the last thing we need. It s the last thing we would it s the last thing we would have wanted to happen have wanted to happen and we were hoping and praying and we were hoping and praying and doing our best for the past and doing our best for the past year, since the war started year, since the war started in gaza, through diplomatic channels, through every channel possible, to avoid going i
Hello, im annita mcveigh, welcome to Bbc News now, three hours of fast moving news, interviews and reaction. Within the past few hours, lawyers representing women who say they were raped or sexually assaulted by the former owner of harrods have described Mohamed Al fayed as a monster. Theyve also urged anyone else with similar claims to come forward. At least 37 women have accused the late billionaire of assaulting them. The case follows a Bbc Investigation in which woman who worked for him came forward accusing the egyptian billionaire, who died last year, of multiple counts of rape and attempted rape, during his 25 Year Reign at harrods. One of the barristers taking part in the News Conference Barriser Maria Mulla explained that when selected for their role, women would be sent for a private medical examination undertaken by three or four doctors whuich included a full cervical smear. Ms mulla gave further detail, revealing that one woman who made a complaint to harrods was told b
a total of thirty seven people including 23 children were killed in an attack that has shocked the nation. those are the headlines. now on bbc news it s time for hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk. i m stephen sackur. lebanon is experiencing one of the most disastrous economic collapses of the last 100 years. the national economy is less than half the size it was just three years ago. one powerful symbol of the catastrophe, people are holding up banks in a desperate attempt to get their money out, amid rampant inflation and a currency crisis. my guest is lebanon s minister of economy and trade, amin salam. politicians have failed lebanon for decades. will that change before the meltdown is complete? minister amin salam, currently in washington, dc, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. thank you, stephen, glad to be with you. well, we re delighted to have you in our washington studio. let me ask you, minister, do you think you and your government are levelling with the lebanese peop