Unvaccinated. And at the olympics, Host Nationjapan sits top of the medals table, with another gold in the mens all round gymnastics. The united states Simone Biles meanwhile pulls out of another event blaming The Twisties when gymnasts lose their sense of awareness in the air. Welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. Lets start in the uk. The government has scrapped Quarantine Rules for most fully vaccinated travellers arriving from the eu and the us to england. The new rule comes into effect from monday. Heres TransPort Secretary Grant shapps. Weve already enabled people who have been double vaccinated here, and we can prove that quite easily with the nhs app, to travel and come back and not need to quarantine, even if theyre coming from an Amber List country. Today, were expanding that to all of europe, including countries like norway for example, and switzerland outside of the eu, and also the united states of america, which does of course cover a very large n
Now on bbc news, its hardtalk. Welcome to hardtalk. Im stephen sackur. All of the conflicts and tensions in the wider middle east coalesce in one small nation lebanon. Currently a quarter of the lebanese population is made up of refugees from syria. Iran wields huge influence in lebanon thanks to its sponsorship of the militant Group Hezbollah, and israel has a long history of intervention in its northern neighbour. My guest today is lebanons foreign minister gebran bassil. Is his government making lebanons problems worse . Gebran bassil, welcome to hardtalk. Thank you. Once again, it looks as though lebanon could be drawn in to a dangerous regional conflict, and your government appears to be doing nothing right now to reduce the tension. Why is that . Actually, we want to avoid getting into any trouble. Our policy is to be disassociated from any conflict in the region but we are obliged to protect our country and we are repeatedly aggressed by israeli violations of Un Resolution 1701.
With stephen sackur. Welcome too hard to talk. I am a stephen sackur. All of the conflicts and tensions in the wider middle east coalesce in the discordant politics of one small state lebanon. Currently a quarter of the lebanese population is made of syrians seeking refuge from war. Iran wields huge influence through its sponsorship of the Shia Islamist Group Hezbollah, while israel has a history of intervention in its northern neighbour. My guest today is Lebanese Foreign minister gebran bassil. Is his government making lebanons problems worse . Gebran bassil, welcome to hardtalk. Thank you. Once again, it looks as though lebanon could be drawn in to a dangerous regional conflict. And your government appears to be doing nothing right now to reduce the tension. Why is that . Actually, we wa nt to tension. Why is that . Actually, we want to avoid getting into any trouble. Our policy is to be disassociated from any conflict in the region but we are obliged to protect our country and we a
amin salam in beirut, welcome to hardtalk. thank you, thank you, stephen. always a pleasure. well, it s great to have you back on the show and if i may, i want to start with some words you said just one week after october 7 that is, after the hamas attack on southern israel and at the very beginning of israel s massive military response. you said at that point, we do not want to be here in lebanon a bargaining chip in a larger geopolitical game. isn t that precisely what your country has become? stephen, you ve known me for always my honesty and transparency and we reached a point in lebanon where everything is very clear and there s nothing to hide. and saying the truth and sharing the truth, admitting what is at fault, is the best strategy to follow. so, yes, i was very clear in what i said at that point of time, particularly because lebanon is a small state in this region, has been paying a very, very high price for conflicts around lebanon and in the region for at l
calamity? amin salam, in beirut. welcome to hardtalk. thank you, thank you, stephen. always a pleasure. always a pleasure. well, it s ureat to always a pleasure. well, it s great to have always a pleasure. well, it s great to have you always a pleasure. well, it s great to have you back - always a pleasure. well, it s great to have you back on i always a pleasure. well, it sl great to have you back on the show and if i may, i want to start with some words you said just one week after october 7 thatis, just one week after october 7 that is, after the hamas attack on southern israel and at the very beginning of israel s massive military response, you said at that point we do not want to be here in lebanon a bargaining chip in a larger geopolitical game. isn t that precisely what your country has become? ,, , , ., precisely what your country has become? ,, , ~ ., become? stephen, you ve known me for always become? stephen, you ve known me for always my become?