you are watching bbc news. we will get the latest from the middle east in a moment but we will turn to another important story. in his first foreign trip, the new secretary general of nato, mark rutte, has visited ukraine. he met president zelensky and reiterated the western alliance's support to ukrainians in the face of russian aggression. this is my first time here as nato secretary general,

and it was important to me that i come to ukraine at the start of my mandate to make crystal clear to you, to the people of ukraine and to everyone watching that

to the people of ukraine and to e\ that 1e watching that to the people of ukraine and to e\ that nato tching that to the people of ukraine and to e\ that nato stands :hat to the people of ukraine and to e\ that nato stands with also said that nato stands with ukraine, buti also said that nato stands with ukraine, but i asked him, people in ukraine do not want to hear about symbolism, they want concrete steps. looking ahead to a meeting that will happen soon where countries who have supported ukraine in terms of weapons get together to discuss what more they can do, can we expect more concrete steps? for example, the permission to use long—range missiles on targets inside russia, to which mark rutte did not want to be drawn too much. he said ukraine had the right to defend itself but it would be up to nato allies individual nato allies. for volodymyr zelenskyy, it was interesting, he referred to the fact a decision has not been made on long—range missiles and even

expressed some frustration. he will be pleased that mark rutte has prioritised ukraine in terms of the first foreign visit. , ., ., , . visit. in terms of that basic question — visit. in terms of that basic question that _ visit. in terms of that basic question that volodymyr i question that volodymyr zelenskyy has been pushing, the use of weapons into russian targets are does he feel he is making headway? it is targets are does he feel he is making headway?— making headway? it is not clear. making headway? it is not clear- as _ making headway? it is not clear. as i _ making headway? it is not clear. as i say, _ making headway? it is not clear. as i say, he - making headway? it is not i clear. as i say, he expressed what seemed to me to be frustration, basically saying more decisiveness was needed. lots of people are looking to the us, the outgoing president joe biden was speaking to ukrainian officials and the message they have been trying to take to him and volodymyr zelenskyy was in washington, dc just last week, they want him to use those last few months in office to make history by making some big decisions regarding the missiles or ukraine's aspirations to join the nato military alliance. it is not currently clear if they have succeeded in making that case butjoe biden still has a

few months left in office so they will keep pushing it. thank you very much indeed. let's return now to our top story as israel continues its offensive against hezbollah in lebanon. jeffrey feltman served as the us ambassador to lebanon from 2004 to 2008, including during the last war between israel and hezbollah in 2006. he told me more about how the conflict was very different this time around. hezbollah into thousand six killed and kidnapped israeli soldiers, triggering the war. —— in soldiers, triggering the war. -- in 2006. it soldiers, triggering the war. —— in 2006. it also much disruption in lebanon, but this time, people have had the time to think about how they would evacuate themselves, how they would prepare. would they leave the country? the airport is still operating, which was not in 2006. one of the first targets into thousand six was

the airport. already in the past two weeks, there have been more people killed in lebanon during the entire war in 2006. both sides have taken the last 18 years and implemented lessons they have learned. israel have taken the intelligence penetration and for hezbollah, it is much more like a regular army. both sides have implemented lessons learned in 2006. we have seen success on the israeli side in terms of the degradation of hezbollah�*s arsenals, of the leadership, but as we saw from the eight soldiers killed

yesterday, the ground offensive against hezbollah with hardened bunkers and battle experience from syria in a geography that is far different to the gaza strip, much more rugged, many more places for ambushes, it will be a tougher fight. imilli will be a tougher fight. will stay with — will be a tougher fight. will stay with this. _ will be a tougher fight. will stay with this. aside from the diplomacy and fighting, there is the desperate effort to so many foreign nationals to get out, we have seen nationals from so many different countries trying to leave lebanon over the last week or so. with me is mona deeley, whose 81—year—old mother was evacuated last night from lebanon. welcome to the programme. tell me more about getting your mother out, how complicated

that was, how you did it. i have two parents there, and 81—year—old mum and 88—year—old dad. when the foreign office announced the evacuation, we took the last—second decision that she must leave. dad declined because he is too ill to travel in this way. he was left with his carers and they have to split the family like that. . , . have to split the family like that. ., , ., ., , that. that is a really difficult _ that. that is a really difficult decision. i that. that is a really l difficult decision. very difficult _ difficult decision. very difficult decision, - difficult decision. very difficult decision, and | difficult decision. very| difficult decision, and i basically took it from mum, they have married for 61 years, seeing everything together and she is now here in safety and he is not and we must see day by day how to sort things out. we have seen some of the chartered flights leaving there, but in terms of what thatjourney there, but in terms of what that journey was like, there, but in terms of what thatjourney was like, your mother was able to get a place on the plane but tell me what it was like actually moving from her home to the airport,

because there are so many multiple dangers now around beirut. it multiple dangers now around beirut. , . . multiple dangers now around beirut. , ., ., ., beirut. it is a war with no red lines and _ beirut. it is a war with no red lines and anything _ beirut. it is a war with no red lines and anything can - beirut. it is a war with no red i lines and anything can happen. my lines and anything can happen. my parents lived through my parents lived through multiple multiple wars in lebanon, my mum was born in191i3 and multiple wars in lebanon, my mum was born in 1943 and my dad is even older than that but this one is different. there are no red lines and anything can happen at any time and anything can get bombed. the airport isjust by anything can get bombed. the airport is just by the southern suburbs. it was a gamble just getting to the airport, but luckily it went well on that front and she was able to get out. yes, we have never seen anything like it. the size of the bonds being used, the targets, —— the bonds, the unclear aim targets, —— the bonds, the unclearaim is, you targets, —— the bonds, the unclear aim is, you don't no if it will finish in a week, a year, if it will be an invasion, incursion. all of that means we had to decide in

the last—second and it felt like a final call. the last-second and it felt like a final call.— like a final call. you talk about the _ like a final call. you talk about the explosions - like a final call. you talk| about the explosions and like a final call. you talk - about the explosions and we saw that overnight, it was huge and it was in central beirut. in terms of the family home, how close orfar terms of the family home, how close or far away from some these big blasts are they? family home is not farfrom there, and one thing hit last night was a cemetery where my grandparents are buried. i do not understand why that got bombed. it's terrible, it seems like a moral assault. it is not far and i can see on my friends group, they are discussing whether it is advisable to close windows because of sulphur being exposed in the explosion or to keep them open because of blasts. so explosion or to keep them open because of blasts.— because of blasts. so everyone havin: to because of blasts. so everyone having to make _ because of blasts. so everyone having to make different - having to make different decisions day by day, who are there in beirut. tell me more about what is happening with your father, about what is happening with yourfather, who is there about what is happening with your father, who is there left behind, how completed it is

likely to be for the family to look after him, detached. he has not look after him, detached. he: has got 24—hour nursing care, but the problem is with the bombing, you don't know if the nurses can make it to him and if they are not there, he cannot be by himself, he has parkinson's and cannot co—ordinate. 0r parkinson's and cannot co—ordinate. or even if the nurses get there, he cannot get to medication or doctors of food or water, so it is a real assault on every civilian at any age anywhere in lebanon, evenif any age anywhere in lebanon, even if my father happens to be living a particularly safe town. ~ :, , ., :, town. were nearly at the end of the programme. _ town. were nearly at the end of the programme, you _ town. were nearly at the end of the programme, you talk- town. were nearly at the end of the programme, you talk about| the programme, you talk about your parents living through so many different wars, but i assume this is the first time they have had to actually leave, is that right? that is the first time _ leave, is that right? that is the first time we _ leave, is that right? that is the first time we are - leave, is that right? that is - the first time we are separated in this way but there is a long

history of israel— lebanon was, and this level of war has never led to diplomatic solutions. they work on the political solutions for the region and not just these little tasks. incredibly good of you to come in and talk to us. thank you so much for being with us here on the programme. we will take a short break, when we are back, we will have the latest life from beirut, we had our correspondents in northern israel and in washington as well afterjoe biden's comments, talking about discussions with the israelis about hitting iranian oil facilities. we have seen the spike in oil prices are 5% as a result. plenty more running up in the programme in the next couple of minutes, but now the weather. good afternoon. it was an absolutely glorious start to the day, and most of us will keep sunny

spells into the afternoon, but it came at a price. it was a chilly start, the coldest autumn morning so far in braemar in scotland, and we had some patchy mist and fog as well, as you get when high pressure dominates in autumn. are being screened for and that high pressure is going to stay with us for the rest of the day and into tomorrow. but we will start to see a change developing as we go through the latter stages of friday into the start of the weekend. there's more wet and possibly windy weather to come as well. so enjoy the sunshine for the remainder of the afternoon. sunny spells, a little bit of fair weather cloud developing into the afternoon, and perhaps the breeze picking up and a few isolated showers into western scotland. but on the whole, temperatures will peak at around 13 to 17 degrees, pretty much where they should be for this time of year. as we go through the evening, the winds will continue to strengthen further and this weather front will bring some showery rain into northern ireland and northwest scotland. clearer skies across england and wales will mean temperatures once again into single figures. and because of all the rain that we had in september, the ground is pretty moist so we could see further mist and fog forming. the high is drifting slowly

eastwards and that means that these weather fronts will start to push in from the atlantic, but they are going to make slow progress. so on friday, the showery rain really sitting across western scotland, northern ireland, we might see more cloud developing through the isle of man and west wales, but on the whole dry and quiet elsewhere and once again, temperatures peaking into the mid to high teens in places. now, as we move out of friday into saturday, the next front will start to move in. again, a slow process being blocked by that high pressure. but some of the rain will start to turn quite heavy across northern ireland and northwest scotland, and the winds will strengthen too. elsewhere, we should cling on to some sunshine for the bulk of saturday, maybe some rain pushing into cornwall and southwest wales by the end of the day. that frontal system will continue to sweep its way steadily eastwards overnight, so a spell of heavy rain and stronger winds clearing across the country. that will linger first thing on sunday and even once it clears, it is going to leave quite a showery story for

the second half of the weekend.

live from london. this is bbc news president biden says he is talking with israel about the possibility that it could attack iran's energy sector in retaliation for tehran's missile barrage on israel. mr biden was speaking as the israeli military continued its strikes across lebanon. we will get the latest from our correspondents in beirut, northen israel and in washington. the uk government says, it will hand sovereignty of the remote chagos islands to mauritius. it's a historic —

and controversial move. and in a world—first dna study — up to a 100,000 babies in england