hello, i'm annita mcveigh. welcome to bbc news now, three hours of fast—moving news, interviews and reaction. it comes as israel claims to have struck around 200 hezbollah targets around lebanon and is now urging residents at one of the largest cities in the south to evacuate. we have these pictures coming in live from the lebanese

capital with smoke continuing to rise over the southern suburbs. a densely populated area where hezbollah has its main base. the israeli military says it carried out what it calls �*precise strikes�* on a building in the bachoura neighbourhood, near the lebanese parliament. and in the south of the country israel says their warplanes killed around 15 hezbollah members in an air strike in bintjbeil. meanwhile, hezbollah claims their fighters confronted israeli forces attempting to advance at the fatima border crossing. our middle east correspondent lina sinjab has the latest. another sleepless night in beirut with one blast after the other. but this one is not in hezbollah�*s stronghold in the south of beirut. this one is in the heart of the city. israel says it is a targeted attack against hezbollah. local media

say it's a health facility. six paramedics are reported to have been killed here. it is paramedics are reported to have been killed here.— been killed here. it is very clear this _ been killed here. it is very clear this is _ been killed here. it is very clear this is a _ been killed here. it is very clear this is a centre - been killed here. it is very clear this is a centre for. clear this is a centre for ambulances. it has ambulances and rescue was volunteering to serve society. and rescue was volunteering to serve society-— serve society. people fear israeli strikes _ serve society. people fear israeli strikes are - serve society. people fear l israeli strikes are expanding beyond hezbollah areas. nowhere is safe any more. every morning lebanese wake up to more death, more destruction and more people running for safety. in the south strikes are ongoing. it continues to target villages and towns they say are home to hezbollah. and they have also put on the ground advancing in the south. but it's coming at a cost. israel says eight soldiers have been killed so far in clashes. hezbollah say they are defined and are battling on the ground. the

death: lebanon is on the rise and nearlyi million are now displaced. with no political solution in sight, the people here are anxious and worried about what tomorrow may hold. my colleague anna foster is also in the lebanese capital. she was less than a kilmometer from the strike last night and described the impact. this is a different part of beirut to where we have seen the strikes so far. this is very much downtown beirut, it's a small shear area and we saw and heard the sound of that very large strike, loud because it was very close to us, at about 20 past midnight last night local time. about 20 past midnight last night localtime. itjust about 20 past midnight last night local time. itjust shows night local time. it just shows that night local time. itjust shows that these israeli air strikes that these israeli air strikes that are being carried out here in beirut, while most of them are concentrated in the southern suburbs, there was one

occasion where they struck at an area which is out of those southern suburbs. to say that last night as well, it really is a message by the israeli military that no part of this capital is out of reach. and also we still have the continuing sound, it has been constant for days, the sound of drones in the sky which are gathering intelligence all the time. let's hearfrom our correspondent who is the bbc arabic middle east correspondent. arabic middle east corresondent. �*, ., , correspondent. it's a very chaotic scene _ correspondent. it's a very chaotic scene here. - correspondent. it's a very. chaotic scene here. people correspondent. it's a very - chaotic scene here. people are very— chaotic scene here. people are very angry _ chaotic scene here. people are very angry. they are concerned and worried about the coming days— and worried about the coming days and _ and worried about the coming days and may be the coming hours — days and may be the coming hours. behind me is the medical centre _ hours. behind me is the medical centre that — hours. behind me is the medical centre that has been shelled by the israelis strikes overnight. it lies— the israelis strikes overnight. it lies within a very busy residential block. we have been talking — residential block. we have been talking to — residential block. we have been talking to the people this morning and they told us that

as s00n— morning and they told us that as soon as they heard the strike _ as soon as they heard the strike they ran out, children were — strike they ran out, children were screaming, one of them told _ were screaming, one of them told me — were screaming, one of them told me i_ were screaming, one of them told me i felt as if my heart was — told me i felt as if my heart was going to stop. we have seen a lot— was going to stop. we have seen a lot of— was going to stop. we have seen a lot of medical kit lying in the — a lot of medical kit lying in the street. masks and gloves and blankets. we are still trying _ and blankets. we are still trying to lift the throwable from — trying to lift the throwable from the area and people have left this— from the area and people have left this building and they don't _ left this building and they don't know where they're going to go — don't know where they're going to go a— don't know where they're going to go. a lot of centres meant to go. a lot of centres meant to shelter— to go. a lot of centres meant to shelter the displaced are overcrowded. people are out on the streets in beirut because they— the streets in beirut because they have no to go. i have been asking — they have no to go. i have been asking them about this medical centre — asking them about this medical centre that has been targeted by an— centre that has been targeted by an israeli air strike and they— by an israeli air strike and they said _ by an israeli air strike and they said it has been serving everybody in the area and most of those — everybody in the area and most of those who have been killed or injured _ of those who have been killed or injured are medics. the civil— or injured are medics. the civil defence here say the air strike — civil defence here say the air strike has— civil defence here say the air strike has targeted this medical centre specifically. it is believed to be affiliated or hacked — is believed to be affiliated or backed by hezbollah. but for

the time being is the scene of rati0~ — the time being is the scene of rati0~ the _ the time being is the scene of ratio. the people here are just waiting — ratio. the people here are just waiting for the unknown. ratio. the people here are “ust waiting for the unknown. those israeli strikes _ waiting for the unknown. those israeli strikes are _ waiting for the unknown. those israeli strikes are continuing i israeli strikes are continuing in the south of lebanon as well. the idf have issued this morning this new evacuation warning for the city of nava tia, the main city in the south, they are telling people to leave. it usually has a population of around 60,000. the majority of those have left already. but it really shows those israeli air strikes are continuing to intensify even as israeli troops are now cross the border in lebanon. there are still questions remaining about how far the one that ground invasion of lebanon to actually go. will they focus on the border area and the infrastructure of the channels they are or will they go as far as the little river and out that whole buffer zone that was put in place after the war in

2006 as part of that un resolution which was supposed to keep hezbollah fighters out of that area? let's get the latest from israel and our correspondent injerusalem. later statements from the israeii _ later statements from the israeli military talk about some _ israeli military talk about some 200 hezbollah targets being — some 200 hezbollah targets being struck across lebanon without _ being struck across lebanon without going into full details of all— without going into full details of all the different locations. it of all the different locations. it is — of all the different locations. it is mentioned how this particular council building was hit in — particular council building was hit in southern lebanon killing about — hit in southern lebanon killing about 15— hit in southern lebanon killing about 15 hezbollah operatives according to the israeli military. they say a number of weapons — military. they say a number of weapons were stored in that building _ weapons were stored in that building and in general what they— building and in general what they say— building and in general what they say is that they are going after— they say is that they are going after weapons, they say is that they are going afterweapons, rocket they say is that they are going after weapons, rocket launch sites. — after weapons, rocket launch sites, otherterrorist sites, other terrorist infrastructure in sites, otherterrorist infrastructure in lebanon. we know— infrastructure in lebanon. we know that _ infrastructure in lebanon. we know that in the past few hours they— know that in the past few hours they have — know that in the past few hours they have been sirens going off in the _ they have been sirens going off in the north of israel, warning those — in the north of israel, warning those who— in the north of israel, warning those who remain there of

incoming rockets and drones. hezbollah remains capable of making — hezbollah remains capable of making those kinds of launches against — making those kinds of launches against israel. the fighting on the ground continues. we know that has— the ground continues. we know that has been quite fierce and we have — that has been quite fierce and we have now been some of the encounters that had been expected between israeli soldiers and the hezbollah fighters who are on the hunter rain and — fighters who are on the hunter rain and that is their stronghold in the south of the country — stronghold in the south of the country. they are holding up there — country. they are holding up there against incoming israeli troops — there against incoming israeli troops. we are expecting that israeii — troops. we are expecting that israeli ground invasion to expand _ israeli ground invasion to expand because we know now there — expand because we know now there has— expand because we know now there has been another military division — there has been another military division and there are now three _ division and there are now three military divisions that have — three military divisions that have been sent to the north of the country along with some reviews _ the country along with some reviews it —— without reservists but were not getting many — reservists but were not getting many details about that. for security _ many details about that. for security reasons the israeli mititary— security reasons the israeli military does not update as quickly— military does not update as quickly or in a lot of depth

about— quickly or in a lot of depth about exactly what's going on on the — about exactly what's going on on the ground. and that was yolande knell, our middle east correspondent, injerusalem. a news conference is happening in an undisclosed location in yemen. we can show you some pictures of that and this is the hopi leader giving that news conference. we will bring you any key lines that he might be talking about and we will let you know in due course about that. the uk government says it has agreed a deal which gives mauritius full sovereignty over the chagos islands, which are located in the indian ocean, while allowing the uk and the us to retain operational control of their diego garcia joint military base there. mauritius has claimed sovereignty over the islands, which are around 500km south of the maldives, since independence in 1968. the uk evicted its population of more than 1,000 people

in the 1960s and 1970s, to make way for that military base. under the terms of the agreement, the base will now be �*undisputed, and legally secure'. the dispute continued at the united nations and in international courts for many years and this agreement was reached following two years of negotiations. these are the chagos islands, deep in the indian ocean. british for now, but after today's agreement, not for much longer. the islands are all uninhabited, save for one. an important one. diego garcia. it is home to a vast and secretive american military base, used to refuel bombers during the wars in iraq and afghanistan. foghorn but for years,

the island nation of mauritius has been staking claim to the chagos islands, planting their flag on one of the tropical atolls here and demanding that britain give up what some have called the uk's last colony in africa. back in the 1960s, the people living on the archipelago were forcibly removed by britain, which kept hold of the islands while giving mauritius its independence. a secret deal was already in place to let the americans set up their military base on diego garcia. chapter ii of the charter... but in recent years, international opinion has turned against britain. ..that the united kingdom is under an obligation... the un's top court ruled here that the islands do indeed belong to mauritius and should be handed over immediately. britain disagreed but began negotiations anyway. and today, reluctantly, but peacefully, the government has concluded a deal to hand

over one of the very last scraps of britain's old empire. frankie bontemps is a second—generation chagossian and chairperson for campaign group chagossian voices. he's been giving me his reaction to today's developments. the vast majority of people feel— the vast majority of people feel betrayed. we are angry and feel betrayed. we are angry and feet iet — feel betrayed. we are angry and feel let down by both governments because since the start— governments because since the start of— governments because since the start of these negotiations at any time... how can they decide the fate — any time... how can they decide the fate of— any time... how can they decide the fate of our homeland without _ the fate of our homeland without us being involved? this is a statement of intent concerning the sovereignty of our homeland. while they have

supposedly been talking to us. nothing — supposedly been talking to us. nothing. we remain powerless and voiceless in determining our own— and voiceless in determining our own future. in the future of our— our own future. in the future of our homeland. so the views of our homeland. so the views of the — of our homeland. so the views of the inhabitants of the island _ of the inhabitants of the island has been constantly and deliberately ignored and we demand full inclusion in the drafting _ demand full inclusion in the drafting of this treaty. around the world and _ drafting of this treaty. around the world and across - drafting of this treaty. around the world and across the - drafting of this treaty. around the world and across the uk, | the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

let's continue it with our coverage of the conflict between israel and hezbollah. the iranian—backed group inside lebanon. we have been getting images today in the last hour orso images today in the last hour or so of some really thick smoke rising from the skyline of beirut and heard reports of a number of explosions

happening consecutively. we are nowjust happening consecutively. we are now just seeing happening consecutively. we are nowjust seeing last happening consecutively. we are now just seeing last two seconds report that the building hosting the hezbollah media relations office has been hit a number of times. let's go to our bbc arabic middle east respondent in central beirut for the latest. i am assuming that if there was a series of big explosions you heard them and what more can you tell us about these reports that the target was the media relations office for hezbollah? this has been reported by a hezbollah affiliated tv channel that a media centre has been hit by an israeli air raid over the past hour or so. israeli air raid over the past hour orso. generally israeli air raid over the past hour or so. generally speaking, in southern beirut air strikes have not stopped over the past couple of hours. they have targeted several areas. it's

not just about that, overnight we have had a medical centre here in central beirut which has been targeted by another air raid and it was so loud that everybody in central beirut could hear it. so it's a clear escalation over the past two hours, notjust in the south but here in the heart of the capital. this is raising a lot of questions about the future of the people here because if israel has hit once in the heart of the capital there are concerns the scenario might be repeated. we've we've also seen reports from the lebanese army of lebanese soldier being killed by an israeli strike on a military post and lebanon saying it has returned fire on israel. how significant is that?-

significant is that? that is a re significant is that? that is a pretty significant _ significant is that? that is a i pretty significant development because it exchange of fire has started since the israelis announced the beginning of a ground incursion into southern lebanon a few days ago and since then there has been an exchange of fire between the two sides in the number of israeli soldiers have been killed. i have come across reports that a lebanese soldier also lost his life. so this is also lost his life. so this is a clear indication that more escalation might be on the way. all of that comes at a very high human cost because people leave their homes either in southern beirut or south lebanon to come here to the heart of the capital to try to find safe shelter. we have been seeing people saying —— staying in the streets of beirut would have legal and lebanon now has to put up with a huge displacement issue and the more the escalation continues the bigger the displacement crisis will be. a hezbollah medical

affiliated facility has been hit overnight and people left the residential block where the medical facility was and these people are just waiting for the unknown. they don't know where to go or what the coming hours and days are holding for them. thank you very much. president volodymyr zelenskiy has discussed the battlefield situation and ukraine's "victory plan" with nato chief mark rutte on his first visit to kyiv. let's listen in. this is my first time here as secretary— this is my first time here as secretary general. it's important to me that i come to ukraine — important to me that i come to ukraine at— important to me that i come to ukraine at the start of my mandate. to make crystal clear to you. — mandate. to make crystal clear to you. to — mandate. to make crystal clear to you, to the people of ukraine, _ to you, to the people of ukraine, and to everyone watching that nato stands with

ukraine — watching that nato stands with ukraine. it is my priority and my privilege to take the support forward. working with you to — support forward. working with you to ensure that ukraine prevails _ you to ensure that ukraine prevails. i have said this before _ prevails. i have said this before and i will say it again, your— before and i will say it again, your tireless leadership is inspirational to me and to us all. inspirational to me and to us ad the _ inspirational to me and to us all. the dedication of your armed _ all. the dedication of your armed forces and the determination of the ukrainian people — determination of the ukrainian people remind us ofjust how precious _ people remind us ofjust how precious freedom is and how cruciat— precious freedom is and how crucial it— precious freedom is and how crucial it is that we do all we can— crucial it is that we do all we can to — crucial it is that we do all we can to defend it. 0ur ukraine correspondentjess parker has been telling me more about what's behind the nato chief's visit to kyiv. mark rutte who has just taken over as the new nato secretary general is trying to make a

point by coming to ukraine and coming to kyiv and holding a press conference in his first week. to show that as far as he is concerned that relationship remains strong and he has already talked this week about ukraine and support for ukraine being a priority. i was at that press conference and i got the opportunity to ask mark rutte who was formerly the dutch prime minister, people in ukraine don't want symbolic gestures, they want concrete steps and a lot of people are now looking ahead to an upcoming meeting of what is called ram strain a defence contract group weight weapons are discussed and i asked him specifically whether he thought they could be a decision that has long been waited for and whether ukraine might get authorisation to use western long—range missiles on military targets inside russia. he replied saying that ukraine has the right to defend itself,

that russia is pursuing an illegal war and he talked about how targeting jets and missiles before they can be used on infrastructure in ukraine can save lives but it's up to individual allies. save lives but it's up to individualallies. so save lives but it's up to individual allies. so i think he was keen not to take is answer any further but for president zelensky there were occasional expressions of frustration that that decision still hasn't been made. now to taiwan where typhoon krathon has made landfall near the island's second city of kaohsiung. even though it's now been downgraded to a category one, wind gusts at kaohsuing port have recorded 220 kilometers an hour. at least two people have been killed and more than a—hundred injured so far in torrential rains and ferocious winds. thousands have been evacuated and schools and offices are closed. hundreds of flights have also been cancelled, and the high speed rail line suspended. 0ur correspondent in taipai, rupert wingfield hayes is following events. i'm in the taiwanese capital, taipei. and as you can see

here, obviously there is a lot of rain. it is gusting, it's windy, but it's nothing like what they're experiencing in the south of taiwan right now, particularly in the main port city. taiwan's second city, zhoushan. it's about a city of about 2.5 million people. and it is being hit very, very hard right now by this very large typhoon. it came on shore the i came on shore at about lunchtime today and they have been recording gusts, wind gusts there of up to 220km an hour. so strong that we've seen pictures here of these winds literally picking up empty shipping containers stacked on the side of zhoushan port and literally tossing them across the port side. there's also roofs being ripped off, signs knocked down, lots of lots of trees being being knocked down. there's also local flooding we're seeing now. and this typhoon is moving incredibly slowly. it's been called by locals here both rare and weird. rare because we very, very seldom see typhoons coming in from the west of taiwan.

they usually come across from the east over the central mountains. so this is coming directly from the west, hitting straight on the city of kaohsiung. and then it's they're calling it weird because it's moving very, very slowly. it hovered offshore for around two days, and then it crawled onshore today at literally just walking pace four kilometres an hour. and that is a problem in itself, because it means that it is going to spend a lot more time over the island as it gradually breaks up over the next 2a to 36 hours. lots and lots of time for it to dump vast amounts of rain onto populated areas of taiwan and into the central mountains, and that has the potential for causing severe flooding. so although the typhoon has now been downgraded to a category one typhoon, and it is expected to to further weaken and break up tonight, we are still not out of the woods at all. there is still a lot of potential for this typhoon to cause a lot of damage,

particularly from flooding. let's ta ke let's take you back to the pictures coming in live from the lebanese capital beirut. the smoke still very evident. not quite as thick as it was about an hour ago and although it has not been confirmed this is linked to an attack on hezbollah's media relations office in the lebanese capital it certainly seems to be coinciding in terms of the timing. we are getting reports that the media relations office for hezbollah took a number of hits earlier today. it is in a building alongside several shops and businesses and residences as well and sits amongst other residential buildings. in the meantime we have heard from the lebanese health ministry that nearly 2000 people have been killed in lebanon as a result of israeli

strikes including 127 children and also the lebanese army has returned fire on israel after one of its soldiers was killed in an israeli strike. stay with us on bbc news. good afternoon. it was a glorious start to the morning. plenty of sunshine out there but it was a chilly start. a price you pay at this time of year with high—pressure dominating. the coldest autumn morning so far. and this high pressure is going to stay with us for the remainder of today and into tomorrow but france are gathering in the atlantic someone wet weather is on its way. we still run the risk of more fog to close out the rest of the week but sunny spells for most of us but rain as we push towards the weekend. for the remainder of this afternoon we keep some sunny spells. a lot of bit of cloud and any showers will be very isolated. a little bit more of a breeze

developing into western scotland and a few more showers here by the end of the day. 13 to 17 degrees the overall high. as we go through the evening and of those clear skies temperatures will fall away quite quickly. at the breeze continues to strengthen and we will see shall outbreaks of rain arriving into northern ireland in north—west scotland. he double digits that we could see low single figures on one or two spots and there is a lot of rain through september so the ground is very moist and more mist and fog may well form in those areas. so a murky start of the day. the high pressure slowly drifting east allowing that weather front to creep further east as we go through the afternoon. so clouding over attaching to scotland. the rain staying fairly light and showery through western scotland and northern ireland. for the rest of us after that fog clears we keep that sunshine and again hi is likely of 17 celsius. thru friday evening and overnight we will start to see some heavy rain pushing into northern ireland and western scotland by

the start of saturday. that will drift in across scotland but on the whole saturday will be largely fine and dry and we could see some rain towards the end of the afternoon. again those temperatures in mid—teens, about where they should be for this stage of the year. through saturday night, that wet and windy weather will push its way steadily eastwards so we will see a spell of wet weather for the time but it should continue to clear away and as we go into sunday rain eases to a showery afternoon for most.

live from new york at the opening bell, this is business today. stocks inch lower ahead of friday's key payroll numbers, with traders watching for any escalation of the conflict in the middle east. that's kept oil markets on edge, with brent crude holding steady around $75 a barrel. also coming up... 0pen wallets for open ai. investors pile into the firm behind chatgpt, valuing it at $157 billion — more than banking giant goldman sachs. plus, the world's richest man versus wall street's watchdog. elon musk is due before the sec over his takeover of twitter. but, after his no—show last

month, will he even turn up? welcome to business today, live from new york, i'm ritika gupta. us markets continue to be on edge as they open in new york this thursday. in the last hour, we've had data showing more americans than expected filed for unemployment benefits last week. that comes ahead of closely watched payroll data tomorrow, which will be crucial for the federal reserve as it decides how fast to cut the cost of borrowing. also concerning wall street investors, the port strike that has brought container traffic on the eastern seanboard to a standstill. and of course the big focus — the conflict in the middle east. crude prices remained elevated on concerns about a disruption to global oil supplies. the middle east provides around a third of the world's oil. here's how brent crude is trading — above $75 a barrel. let's bring in mona mahajan,

senior investment strategist