that recent events could lead to a new era of instability. how might these events are bailing? let s start with these pictures here. this is the funeral for hamas jeopardy chief saleh al arouri, and his killing on tuesday elevated existing tensions in lebanon. the leader of hezbollah hassan nasrallah is called this a flagrant israeli aggression and says it won t go unpunished but israel has not officially claimed responsibility. but who are hezbollah? they were establish in the early 1980s by iran the most powerful group, to oppose israel. iran is still reeling from two explosions yesterday which killed nearly 100 people. it is not clear who was behind the attacks. iran also backs the hutu rebels, which control a large part of yemen and also modelled themselves on hezbollah. since november they ve carried out more than 20 attacks in the red sea which is crucialfor global trade the houthi rebels. they this video of them taking crew hostage. what is clear is that it has had
good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. rishi sunak has appeared to rule out a spring general election. speaking on a visit to a youth centre in nottinghamshire, the prime minister said his working assumption is that there will be a general elction in the second half of this year. an election has to be held by january 2025. in his own new year speech, the labour leader sir keir starmer said he hoped the new year would give the country a chance to vote out the conservatives. let s go live now to our chief political correspondent, henry zeffman, who s at westminster. the prime minister appears to be rolling out a spring election, how much of a surprise is that? we are ust a few much of a surprise is that? we are just a few days much of a surprise is that? we are just a few days into much of a surprise is that? we are just a few days into 2024 - much of a surprise is that? we are just a few days into 2024 but - just a few days into 2024 but already in westminster