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tv   BBC News Now  BBC News  September 19, 2024 2:00pm-2:31pm BST

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live from london, this is bbc news with ben brown. lebanese authorities say at least 37 people have been killed in two days of exploding devise attacks targeting has ball off. at least 37 killed in lebanon, after two days of exploding device attacks targeting hezbollah. pagers and walkie talkies are banned from flights out of beirut. israel, widely believed to be behind the attacks, has announced what it calls a "new phase in the war". the united states is urging calm. the bbc reveals that the former harrods boss, the late mohamed al—fayed, has been accused of rape by five female ex—employees. i live in michigan, one of the key battle—ground states in the presidential election, and where donald trump and kamala harris are locked in a dead heat. evacuations in northern italy as storm boris batters
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the country causing severe flooding and landslides. lebanon has banned walkie talkies and pagers from all flights out of the country's only commercial airport in operation. the move comes after explosions were triggered in pagers and walkie—talkies used by hezbollah. the attacks killed at least 37 people and injured thousands. israel hasn't confirmed it was behind the attacks but is widely assumed to be, and its defence minister, yoav gallant, has said it's opening a new phase in the war. and these are pictures from the israeli military, which says it hit hezbollah infrastructure in an overnight
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attack across the border. it says it carried out air strikes on seven targets in southern lebanon. the us says it's involved in intensive diplomatic efforts to prevent the conflict escalating further. the leader of hezbollah, which some western states have designated a terrorist organisation, is expected to address the events in a speech later today. this is the moment a blast rocks beirut. hezbollah had gathered to bury the victims from the explosions of the day before until it was hit by a new wave of attacks, this time targeting walkie—talkies used by the group. apparently another operation by israel. one of the explosions yesterday happened not farfrom here, in a hezbollah stronghold in southern beirut. there was a lot of chaos and confusion because many believe that no electronic device was safe. hezbollah members stopped us a number of times, telling us not to use
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our camera, phones, and today those concerns continue. translation: it's scary, it's frightening. _ where are we going? i have no idea, this is frightening. we cannot cope any more. we can't cope any more. translation: of course - i was scared, is there anyone who wouldn't be scared in this situation? you can hide from a bullet but this is much more difficult. if i want to answer my phone i am too scared. translation: this is not a face-to-face battle, - it is a cowardly way to fight. . if you want to show our strength basisl on the battlefield. the attacks on lebanon began on tuesday — pagers used by hezbollah exploded as people were shopping or at home with theirfamilies. the group had turned this old—school technology because of security concerns, fearing that israel was monitoring mobile phones to track and kill its fighters. israel is widely believed to
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have been behind the attacks. as usual, it hasn't claimed responsibility, but the suspicion is that it managed to add explosives inside the devices. for almost a year, hezbollah and israel have been fighting along the border, a conflict that so far has been relatively contained, but concerns are rising again that this may escalate into an all—out war. hugo bachega, bbc news. in the last few minutes, we have heard from an israeli government spokesperson, who says israel will respond to rockets fired into israel by hezbollah.— rockets fired into israel by hezbollah. , hezbollah. israel is responding with force _ hezbollah. israel is responding with force us _ hezbollah. israel is responding with force us to _ hezbollah. israel is responding with force us to this _ with force us to this aggression, we will use all means necessary to restore security to our northern border dover border and safely return our citizens to their homes, we will respond with force to this unprovoked aggression from hezbollah. unprovoked aggression from hezbollah-— unprovoked aggression from hezbollah. that is the israeli government _ hezbollah. that is the israeli government spokesman. - hezbollah. that is the israeli. government spokesman. daniel hezbollah. that is the israeli - government spokesman. daniel do simone is injerusalem, you put
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a question to that government spokesperson, which he didn't really answer, but it was about those... will we do not know if they are israeli or not, they have not confirmed it, but those attacks in lebanon using electronic devices.— electronic devices. that's ri . ht, electronic devices. that's right. the _ electronic devices. that's right, the reality - electronic devices. that's right, the reality is - electronic devices. that's right, the reality is that l right, the reality is that israel is being widely blamed for the explosions in lebanon this week by hezbollah, by lebanon, by iran, but by a lot of other people as well, and certainly within israel itself, it is widely held that israel's spy it is widely held that israel's spy agency, mossad, was responsible for what has happened. quite a lot of people are happy about what has happened because they do not like hezbollah, but there is also a lot of concern about escalation from other people, because this conflict has been going on since the day after the hamas attacks on the 7th of october, and on that day
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hezbollah launched rockets attacks into israel, and since then there have been thousands of cross—border attacks, with hezbollah firing rockets and drones into northern israel, which has driven at least 60,000 israelis from their homes, and israel has been carrying out air strikes in lebanon targeting hezbollah positions, but also their leaders in places like beirut. there has been an ongoing conflict, but it is fair to say that both sides have held something back, it is not tipped into all—out war, despite people dying on both sides of the border, 60,000 israelis have been driven from their homes, and over 90,000 people in lebanon have been driven from their homes. but there has been a ratcheting up of rhetoric this week by the israeli government towards hezbollah, there has been told by the defence minister of the
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diplomatic route to peace getting smaller, that he sees military action as the only way to ensure the return of citizens home, and that has become a core war goal, formally made a gold by the israeli security cabinet, the prime minister talking about it as well, so how are they going to do that, that has not been spelt out, but the attacks on lebanon this week certainly come within this context. daniel, thank you very much indeed. let's speak to chemical weapons expert hamish de bretton gordon, who was a former british army colonel and nato commander. how much damage to think these attacks have done?— attacks have done? these have been extraordinarily _ attacks have done? these have been extraordinarily detailed i been extraordinarily detailed attacks, you know, first of all, has buddha was convinced to drop its mobile phones, because they know, as i suspect everyone does, that they can be pinpointed on the ground, and
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israelis have already taken out key commanders using that method. they then moved to pages, which i think really work for the foot soldiers of hezbollah, and it would appear, i'm pretty sure it is the israelis who have interdicted those pages and put explosives on them, you know, in a coordinated attack using an alphanumeric code, these blew up. first of all, there is the psychological impact on the rank and file, that would be massive, as it is for civilians in beirut, but also it identifies them to the israeli forces, and then the next day, the push to talk radio is exploding, which would be used by senior commanders of as as they gather at funerals and all they gather at funerals and all the rest of it. again, pointing to the israelis, and they have been severely damaged by that, and their communications now will be reverting back to 19th century pen and pencil and runners, making them very
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obvious to the israelis. i think the final bit of this, ben, the iranians, we know that they are embedded in hezbollah, in directing and running them, even the iranian ambassador was injured in this, and the focus of this movement is focused on iran, because the israelis will probably come to the conclusion that only iran but can influence the return of the remaining israeli hostages in gaza. it remaining israeli hostages in gaza. ., , , ., , gaza. it does seem ingenious, assuming _ gaza. it does seem ingenious, assuming this _ gaza. it does seem ingenious, assuming this is _ gaza. it does seem ingenious, assuming this is the _ gaza. it does seem ingenious, assuming this is the work - gaza. it does seem ingenious, assuming this is the work of i assuming this is the work of the israelis and mossad, the spy the israelis and mossad, the spy agency mossad, is anything like this been done before in the military sphere of operations?— the military sphere of operations? the military sphere of oerations? ~ , , , operations? well, this is very much the _ operations? well, this is very much the indirect _ operations? well, this is very much the indirect approach, i much the indirect approach, developed after the first world war, this idea of trying to reduce casualties by doing very unexpected type activity. i
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think they have been individual users of this sort of idea by attacking people let one of the operations in iraq i was involved in was very much targeting push to talk radio is of al-qaeda and isis, mainly to identify exactly who they were, but by putting explosives in them and trying to injure and kill people, this is pretty unique. they have been individual elements to it, and that surprise, completely unexpected, is what has hezbollah by surprise, i suspect they will find it very difficult to gather people together. we saw them fire if eu missiles towards israel, but thatis eu missiles towards israel, but that is pretty insignificant, so unique, very complex and executed with great precision. what comes next, we will
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to see, but i think the iranians will probably hold the key to this. polite it has been reported, and again, hezbollah had cottoned on to this possibly and that is why the israelis, assuming it was them, decided to trigger the attacks, because they knew that hezbollah have become aware of it, perhaps before they were planning to. i it, perhaps before they were planning te— it, perhaps before they were planning to. it, perhaps before they were ”lannin to. ~' ., . , ., planning to. i know a number of other analysts _ planning to. i know a number of other analysts are _ planning to. i know a number of other analysts are suggesting i other analysts are suggesting this, i am not so sure. but is predicated on the fact that they are suggesting there is going to be a large israeli invasion into lebanon. that would go — invasion into lebanon. that would go against _ invasion into lebanon. that would go against the - invasion into lebanon. twat would go against the indirect approach that i have suggested, and that would be going back to conventional type warfare which, as we have seen in gaza, has just not been successful. so i think that probably they might have gone a little bit early, but the confusion and the panic that it has put
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amongst hezbollah, i cannot believe anything else they could do would have the same impact. could do would have the same im act. , , could do would have the same imact, , , , could do would have the same imact. , , , ., , impact. just briefly, hamish, some peeple _ impact. just briefly, hamish, some people have _ impact. just briefly, hamish, j some people have suggested impact. just briefly, hamish, - some people have suggested this could be against international law, a war crime, in other words. ~ , , ., ., words. well, yes, i have heard that, and _ words. well, yes, i have heard that. and i'm _ words. well, yes, i have heard that, and i'm no _ words. well, yes, i have heard that, and i'm no legal- words. well, yes, i have heard that, and i'm no legal expert, | that, and i'm no legal expert, and i know that some civilians have been killed. the only thing that i would say is, you know, covering the war in ukraine very closely, where thousands of civilians have been killed by the russians, and certainly other operations, we have seen what has happened in gaza, yes, there have been some civilian casualties, and thatis some civilian casualties, and that is always a disaster and to be lamented, but at the moment it seems that most of those people targeted, most of those people targeted, most of those injured and dead are actually hezbollah terrorists. hamish, very good to talk to you, thank you for your time. the bbc has revealed that the late mohamed al fayed,
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former owner of harrods, the uk's largest luxury department store, has been accused of rape by five female ex—employees. the egyptian—born businessman, rose from a poor family in alexandria to buying the world—famous department store in 1985. a bbc documentary has uncovered evidence that, under mohamed al fayed s ownership, harrods not only failed to intervene, but helped to cover up abuse allegations. this report from shaima khalil contains descriptions of sexual violence. when mohamed al fayed took over harrods, he quickly embraced his high—profile role and the status that came with it. to his customers and the celebrity guests, he was all charm. but to many of his female employees, he was a different man — a predator. we've heard testimony from more than 20 of al fayed's female ex—employees. he tried to rape me more than once.
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and he pushed me in and onto the bed, so that i couldn't move. you know, he was 79, i nearly 80, and i was 15. mohamed al fayed was rich and powerful. that power allowed him to carry out assault at scale over decades. i think mohamed al fayed is a rapist. i think he's a serial rapist. gemma worked as al fayed's personal assistant for two years. my first trip was actually to abu dhabi, and he was trying to get in my room in quite an aggressive manner. it was absolutely terrifying. i just didn't know which way to turn, so i bought a small dictaphone that i had in my pocket and these are the transcripts from those recordings. one of them was in paris, in his residence there, villa windsor. i said, "i just want to go to sleep on my own, mr fayed. i don't want to, mr fayed." and he kept saying, "relax, please, relax." how can you relax when you're in that situation? he walked out and he was angry.
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not long after this incident, gemma says al fayed raped her. the bbc has heard testimony from four other women who say he raped them at his properties. in 2009, gemma contacted a lawyer who told harrods she was leaving herjob on the grounds of sexual harassment. she didn't feel able to disclose the more serious allegations at the time. they agreed to pay a settlement if she signed a non—disclosure agreement. there was also one other condition. the lawyers organised for a shredding truck to come to my lawyer's office. it was shredded in front of us, including tapes i had of him, my phone, that had messages and voicemails, really quite nasty voicemails on them. someone from hr was present for the shredding of all of the evidence i had. i thought i'd lost the transcripts, but actually what i did have was the transcriptions sent to my lawyer in my sent items of my email account at the time. in a statement, the current owners of harrods say they were utterly appalled by the allegations and that employees who were his victims had been failed, for which they sincerely apologised.
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they also said that the harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by al fayed between 1985 and 2010. there were several attempts to expose al fayed before his death, but it is only now that many of the survivors feel able to speak publicly about the abuse. for those who have, the silence and the taboo are finally broken. shaimaa khalil, bbc news. and you can get more on this story by listening to the new season of world of secrets, from the bbc world service, on bbc sounds, as well as on the bbc iplayer. and if you've been affected by any of the issues in our report — you can find advice on the bbc action line — on our website. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.
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the bank of england is keeping interest rates at 5%, the decision comes as prices rise slightly faster than the bank target, the inflation rate remaining at 2.2%. well, homeowners, landlords and renters had been hoping for a cut to bring their payments down. the news, though, more positive of course if you are a savour. the governor of the bank had previously said any reduction in rates would happen gradually. white, to the united states presidential election now. it is nearing its conclusion, with all the polls showing that the race is very much too close to call. any leads the candidates may appear to have are still within the margin of error. so to try and win over undecided and marginal voters, both kamala harris and donald trump are crisscrossing the battleground states. one of those battleground states is michigan, from where my colleague
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caitriona perry now reports. hi, ben, you're very welcome to saginaw, michigan, in the north of the state, and michigan is one of those really close battle—ground states, joe biden won here in 2020, donald trump in 2016, and each time the margins between the two were just several thousand votes, very close. here in saginaw county, joe biden won byjust 300 votes, so you can see how tight this race is. michigan is a very mixed state, with urban centres like detroit, the city of dearborn, which is a democrat majority city, and you have a large swathes of rural areas, flint, michigan, and the auto industry is one of the big
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employers. we can chat to some people to ask them how they will vote, it is a very contentious issue, talking politics, because it is so close, but we can speak to three gentlemen now, phil, frank, and randy, you come here four days a week for your chat, so tell us how feeling ahead of the election, do you know who you are going to vote for and why? you are going to vote for and wh ? ~ ~ you are going to vote for and why? well, i think, in america, we have a _ why? well, i think, in america, we have a lot _ why? well, i think, in america, we have a lot of _ why? well, i think, in america, we have a lot of issues, - why? well, i think, in america, we have a lot of issues, and - we have a lot of issues, and thoseissues we have a lot of issues, and those issues are the economy, the border, and our economy sucks right now! and the border isjust a sucks right now! and the border is just a disaster. sucks right now! and the border isjust a disaster. and sucks right now! and the border is just a disaster. and we got to do something about it. seriously quickly. 50 to do something about it. seriously quickly.- to do something about it. seriously quickly. so do you know who — seriously quickly. so do you know who you _ seriously quickly. so do you know who you are _ seriously quickly. so do you know who you are going - seriously quickly. so do you know who you are going to l seriously quickly. so do you - know who you are going to vote for? i know who you are going to vote for? ., ., ., ., ., for? i am going to vote for donald trump, _ for? i am going to vote for donald trump, not - for? i am going to vote for| donald trump, not because for? i am going to vote for. donald trump, not because i like him. . donald trump, not because i like him-— like him. have you voted for him in the — like him. have you voted for him in the past? _
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like him. have you voted for him in the past? both - like him. have you voted for him in the past? both timesj him in the past? both times before? , . . him in the past? both times before? , ., ., before? yes, and he did a good 'ob when before? yes, and he did a good job when he _ before? yes, and he did a good job when he was _ before? yes, and he did a good job when he was president. - before? yes, and he did a good job when he was president. his| job when he was president. his policies were right on the spot with me. and joe biden's not, kamala harris macro's not, they are not on my team.— kamala harris macro's not, they are not on my team. what about ou, are not on my team. what about you. whose _ are not on my team. what about you, whose team _ are not on my team. what about you, whose team are _ are not on my team. what about you, whose team are you - are not on my team. what about you, whose team are you on? i i you, whose team are you on? i agree with randy on a lot of stuff, — agree with randy on a lot of stuff, but also national security, with the way things are going in the world right now. — are going in the world right now. i_ are going in the world right now, i think he would make a better— now, i think he would make a better president.— better president. and you a lifelon: better president. and you a lifelong republican? - better president. and you a lifelong republican? no, i. better president. and you a - lifelong republican? no, i have went both _ lifelong republican? no, i have went both ways. _ lifelong republican? no, i have went both ways. did _ lifelong republican? no, i have went both ways. did you - lifelong republican? no, i have went both ways. did you vote i went both ways. did you vote for donald — went both ways. did you vote for donald trump _ went both ways. did you vote for donald trump of - went both ways. did you vote for donald trump of times i for donald trump of times before? . �*
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for donald trump of times before? ., ~ ., ., before? yeah. and what about ou, before? yeah. and what about you. frank. — before? yeah. and what about you, frank, what _ before? yeah. and what about you, frank, what are - before? yeah. and what about you, frank, what are the - before? yeah. and what about | you, frank, what are the issues concerning _ you, frank, what are the issues concerning you?— you, frank, what are the issues concerning you? well, my issue is, at 90. _ concerning you? well, my issue is, at 90. l— concerning you? well, my issue is. at 90. i am _ concerning you? well, my issue is, at 90, i am not _ concerning you? well, my issue is, at 90, i am not too - is, at 90, i am not too concerned about... i'm just concerned about... i'm just concerned about... i'm just concerned about breathing every day, when you get to be 90 years old, you don't worry about all of this other stuff, you know? ijust worry about being alive. i still we are in the best country in the world, and so maybe i have my own issues but i still like what i'm doing. i wish i had my wife back with me but i don't, so now i live with my dogs. good for ou. now i live with my dogs. good for you- it _ now i live with my dogs. good foryou- it is _ now i live with my dogs. good for you. it is very _ now i live with my dogs. good for you. it is very close - for you. it is very close around here, walking around, we have seen signs for kamala harris right next door to a house that has signs for donald trump. do you guys talk politics here? not very much,
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we talk about the news, but we are not article though fanatical about us, we do have other things in our lives! you get a lot of attention from the candidates here, don't you? i think we get more now than we used _ i think we get more now than we used to— i think we get more now than we used to get. i think we get more now than we used to get-— used to get. very good. thank ou ve used to get. very good. thank you very much. _ used to get. very good. thank you very much, gentlemen, i used to get. very good. thank| you very much, gentlemen, for speaking to us this morning, we really appreciate that, thank you for welcoming here is in saginaw. these gentlemen here, frank didn't reveal his hand, but these two gentlemen telling us they will vote for donald trump, and we will have more for you and a sample of some other voters threw voices a little bit later in the day. i covered you, ben. thank you very much, great stuff! the bbc understands that the prisons minister is holding urgent talks with the company which supplies electronic monitoring tags for offenders after several said they had to
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be let out under the government's early release programme without one. the government has blamed serco for the delays. well, serco said it is working hard to clear the backlog. us coast guard has released new video footage that shows the moment that wreckage from the titan submersible discovered on the sea bed in the north atlantic. the deep sea craft imploded injune last year, with five passengers on board during an expedition to explore the wreck of the titanic. extreme flooding has wrecked havoc across central and eastern europe, as torrential downpours continue to threaten the region. at least 23 people have died. flood waters have swept across the continent, devastating poland, austria, slovakia, and the czech republic. the european commission president, ursula von
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der leyen, is due to discuss eu support with those countries' leaders. the latest country to close schools in the north, and move its residents to safety. some roads have also been blocked due to landslides. more thunderstorms are expected in the coming days. meanwhile, poland is bracing itself for the peak of the recent flooding today, with warnings that the country's third—largest city, wroclaw, is at risk. it has already gone past the level at which flood warnings are issued. around 10,000 members of the military have been deployed to help with the emergency operations. and these pictures from klodzko, where the neisa river burst its banks. local reports suggest the floods surged to two metres above the height of the river banks. poland's prime minister, donald tusk, says the authorities have not yet been able to establish how many buildings have been destroyed in some remote areas.
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stay with us, plenty more to come, you're watching bbc news. well, it's still warm and dry today, with plenty more blue sky and sunshine to come, despite that rather murky start. now, yesterday, temperatures reached 26 celsius in the far north of scotland. here today it's slightly cooler, but still the sunshine continues, particularly out towards the west. and for the rest of the week, well, temperatures remain above the seasonal average. it's going to be cooler and cloudier always for eastern—facing coasts. expect some wet weather across the southern half of the uk on friday and through the weekend. but high pressure dominates today so it is again largely dry. small chance of an isolated shower across the south of england. we're seeing all of that low cloud still burning back towards these eastern—facing coasts, where it could lingerfor some time, and with the onshore breeze here, it's always going to be feeling cooler.
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we'll keep that cloud across parts of aberdeenshire, perhaps down to east anglia. highest temperatures for the far south—east of england, but still warm for western scotland and for northern ireland in particular. as we head through this evening and overnight, then, it's the same thing all over again. so the clearest of the skies out towards the north and the west. expect some mist and fog patches to develop here. it's going to be a chilly start to the day tomorrow. the cloud again is going to work its way westwards. very mild in the southeast — 11—15 or 16 c here into friday morning. now again, that mist and fog will lift and clear readily through the morning. there will be some sunshine for the north and the west. again, it's quite a murky start for many. showers will start to pop up across east anglia, the southeast of england, track their way further westwards, maybe a rumble or two of thunder and some
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heavy downpours of rain. it is still warm, though — 20—23 celsius in the far south and the east, and still 23 degrees, and the best of the sunshine, for western scotland. expect to see more wet weather too on saturday. again, some heavy, possibly thundery showers pushing in from the south with this unstable air across wales and the southern half of england. but again, further north with high pressure hanging on, then it's still going to be dry. and once again, the best of the sunshine will be for western scotland, north west england and for northern ireland. and then there'll be more widespread thundery showers potentially on sunday. that all clears away as we head into monday. and then on tuesday we're back to southwesterly winds. it's going to be quite unsettled as we head through next week, and it could possibly turn a lot colder too. bye— bye.
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live from new york at the opening bell, this is business today. a bullish opening on wall street — as the federal reserve insists the us economy is still strong despite thatjumbo interest rate cut on wednesday. over in the uk the bank of england keeps its interest rates on hold — but signals borrowing costs are still on the way down. also coming up — a highly charged situation. can china convince europe to power down trade tensions over electric cars? and billion dollar breaks! australia's economy rides a wave of interest in surfing. but is the government fully on board — with protecting the sport?
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i m ritika gupta. welcome to business today, live from new york,

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