live from washington, this is bbc news. a huge explosion in beirut, after the israeli military warned people in a southern suburb of the city to evacuate. this is the scene now live in beirut where there have been a series of blasts in the last few hours. donald trump returns to the stage in butler, pennsylvania — where there was an attempt on his life injuly. the democratic republic of congo launches its first vaccination campaign against mpox. we start in the middle east, where in the last hour there have been more israeli strikes in the lebanese capital, beirut.

these are the latest pictures we can bring you — showing a large explosion following one of those strikes. earlier on saturday, the israeli military had issued orders to residents of specific buildings in southern beirut to evacuate. we don't yet know what was hit in the strikes, but israeli forces have bombed areas reported to be hezbollah strongholds. they have also clashed with hezbollah fighters in lebanon's southern border region. the israeli military says it has killed 440 hezbollah fighters since the start of the ground invasion. meanwhile, hezbollah has fired rockets into northern israel, with reports that residential buildings were hit. also on saturday, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu, addressed iran s missile on his country earlier this week, saying "israel has the duty and the right to defend itself and respond to these attacks — and we will do so.

we can go live to our correspondent in beirut, anna foster now. anna, what is the latest you can tell us? just after 1am here in beirut in last hour, just after 1am here in beirut in last hour, we just after 1am here in beirut in last hour, we have just after 1am here in beirut in last hour, we have seen just after 1am here in beirut in last hour, we have seen and heard a really particularly powerful explosion from an israeli air strike and the reason we know it was an israeli air strike is because the idf particularly at night issued warnings, write about midnight local time, you often see on social media platforms, they would put out messages in arabic with maps of certain parts, mainly of the southern suburbs of beirut where hezbollah are and asked people in those areas to evacuate to an area of about 500 metres clear. that is why we believe these were idf strikes but what is

different is the visual impact of this particular explosion and this orange ball of flames rising into the sky and here, people are trying to work out now what could've been hit to produce that sort of effect. at the lebanese media, this early suggestions that it might�*ve had the petrol station, gas station because there is one there in that area and whether or not there was the target, and may be a building nearby there was the target and the petrol station if ignited and thatis petrol station if ignited and that is one thing that is being discussed here and also some secondary flashes here, will look like secondary explosions and some people saying brads that means there was some sort of weapon storage area that has been hit and hezbollah said a few days ago that they were not storing weapons in those areas but we know that strikes over the last week, two weeks including the one that killed

the leader of hezbollah have been focused on that area because that is where hezbollah�*s top leadership is located, but was hit and what the specific target was board you can see is how powerful that explosion was that was heard and seen from all over the city. heard and seen from all over the ci . . , ., the city. the images that we saw of what _ the city. the images that we saw of what happened - the city. the images that we saw of what happened hoursi the city. the images that we - saw of what happened hours ago. remind us of these particular areas that we believe these israeli structure focusing on and a hezbollah stronghold there but also fairly close to there but also fairly close to the beirut airport?— the beirut airport? yes, the geography _ the beirut airport? yes, the geography is _ the beirut airport? yes, the geography is the _ the beirut airport? yes, the geography is the southern l geography is the southern suburbs are very close to the airport and that causes real concern for people here in most of the air traffic has now stopped in over really see coming in from the airport is

the lebanese flag carriers and they are still flying their routes and really, what we are seeing aside from that is, the government charging planes to take their nationals out of the country and so, their concerns that if something would happen to the airport of the runway, that would stop it from being operational in its very difficult to get out of that stage because you cannot go south via israel because that is a closed border with fighting going along it now and most people cannot go out to the east through syria must have the right paperwork in the visa in passports. that is the main route in and out in summer sailing out from where they can from other areas but it is crucial and that is when the causes particular concern in the southern suburbs are where hezbollah abased and whether top commanders leadership were based and we know that israel

has managed to kill quite a number of those top hezbollah operatives in the past few weeks including the groups leader hassan nasrallah, including some of its senior commanders were responsible for things like intelligence, communications, hezbollah's drone and rockets and their focusing on the south of the country too with this it is military infrastructure, weapon storage that kind of thing and thatis storage that kind of thing and that is why you see this happening in beirut. it is a capital city and there are lots of people living here, densely populated areas and even people areas eve n who live in the southern areas even people populated areas and even people who live in the southern suburbs are not all of suburbs are not all of hezbollah operatives or hezbollah operatives or hezbollah operatives or hezbollah operatives or hezbollah members and their families than civilians and hezbollah members and their families than civilians and children in those areas as well children in those areas as well and they have been civilian and they have been civilian deaths in those israeli air deaths in those israeli air strikes and those areas and as strikes and those areas and as you see, even after two weeks you see, even after two weeks orso you see, even after two weeks or so of focus and targeted by orso you see, even after two weeks or so of focus and targeted by

israel, those strikes are still israel, those strikes are still going on. israel, those strikes are still going on-— israel, those strikes are still going on-_ going on. and we still don't have any — going on. and we still don't have any reports _ going on. and we still don't have any reports of- going on. and we still don't i have any reports of executives been taking place on the ground, how many people may have been killed in this latest strike and if you went mind just walking us through those humanitarian concerns been hearing from you and officials that hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by justin lebanon the —— just ——just in —— just in lebanon alone. -- just in lebanon alone. the fifth of the — —— just in lebanon alone. tie: fifth of the population of this country and a lot of people, to give you an idea of the fear people are feeling, you have a lot of syrian refugees who fled to try to get some sort of safety and we know tens of thousands of those have now gone back again across the border in the last few days because they feel they will be

safe: a..- that like schools, buildings that have been repurposed by the un says all of those shelters are full and that is why you're seeing people sleeping on the streets and places file beirut and beirut does not have a lot of open space and it is not a city that is very green with parks in areas that people can naturally go. you see people on the streets and on the steps and people that you see in the back on here. wherever they could find wherever they could be, families with whatever they can grab from their homes before they left and many of them have been displaced for more than a week now and the lebanese state is really struggling with the challenge of that there's been a huge economic crisis here for years now and they just economic crisis here for years now and theyjust do not have the back—up and the infrastructure in place to deal with such a huge displacement crisis is this one.— crisis is this one. covering what we _ crisis is this one. covering what we believe _ crisis is this one. covering what we believe to - crisis is this one. covering what we believe to be - crisis is this one. covering what we believe to be the | what we believe to be the latest round of israeli strikes

in and around the capital city and we thank you very much. fighting is also continuing in gaza. earlier on saturday, israel called on palestinians to evacuate parts of central gaza, as the military said it was preparing to use �*great force' against hamas fighters in the area. meanwhile pro—palestinian protests are being held around the the globe today — these are pictues from london — calling for a ceasefire in gaza and an end to the conflict. they come before the october 7th anniversary, a year after about 12 hundred people were killed in the hamas attack that sparked the current conflict. joining me live barbara starr — senior fellow at the usc annenberg center, and a former pentagon correspondent at cnn. what do you make of what we saw in southern beirut 7 and that massive explosion following what we believe to be israeli strikes?

what's really interesting is if there was perhaps a strike on hezbollah targets but in fact perhaps the petrol station nearby exploded, that could account for this but there are reports of the secondary explosions and i think it is raising the question of whether it might�*ve indeed been a weapon storage facility even though hezbollah says they are not doing that in that area of lebanon. they're not storing things there. it is hard to see what that target may have been in very clearly israelis are going after hezbollah leadership, command—and—control and key facilities and intelligence networks and continuing to go after them and those southern suburbs of beirut and down closer to the israeli border and trying to push hezbollah forces and hezbollah weapons across the

river to create a corridor, if you will of presumed safety on israel's northern border so we have two fronts in lebanon and we are seeing the idf, the israelis are very determined to carry on their campaign. titer? carry on their campaign. very determined _ carry on their campaign. very determined and _ carry on their campaign. very determined and we _ carry on their campaign. very determined and we are - carry on their campaign. very determined and we are seeing the idf, the israelis are very determined to carry on their campaign. very determined we're looking at some items just now and a large black plume of smoke and very dark there it's like one in the morning. potentially the aftermath of that strike on the screen. with the way israel is in carrying out this operation in lebanon, notjust in beirut, different parts of, southern parts of lebanon and extending over the weekend and striking some hamas commanders there. it feels like this is an operation that continues to expand. br; this is an operation that continues to expand. by any measure. — continues to expand. by any measure. it _ continues to expand. by any measure, it clearly - continues to expand. by any measure, it clearly does - continues to expand. by any measure, it clearly does in i continues to expand. by any i measure, it clearly does in the israelis are bracing for some

sort of retaliatory attack by iran so that is the reason why they are trying to get as much of their campaign done as quickly as they can and put themselves in as good of a position as they can be. if iran was to launch something very specific against them. right now, i think the feeling is iran is not looking for a wider war, is iran is not looking for a widerwar, one is iran is not looking for a wider war, one can only hope thatis wider war, one can only hope that is the case and there are a lot of reasons that the regime would not want a wider war and they want the regime to survive and were contender that. and the bottom line may be, we will see this go on for some time. the question is what has been in gaza for months now is the civilians, the children, the medical personnel, health care, food, water, humanitarian needs. israel can say it is conducting precision strikes

and can say that is warning civilians to get out of the way but the reality is we are seeing and continue to see civilians pay a very heavy price. civilians pay a very heavy rice. ., ., ., ., price. you mentioned iran and we are from — price. you mentioned iran and we are from the _ price. you mentioned iran and we are from the prime - price. you mentioned iran and | we are from the prime minister of israel, benjamin netanyahu saying he is going to respond to that massive missile attack that we saw against israel earlier this week. what are you anticipating over the next few days? do you think israel's will take steps now to potentially counter what iran did even as he continues to be active at gaza and lebanon? benjamin netanyahu is someone who usually lives up to his word. i suspect there will be something. what is on the table right now is what israel's target list is in the us is very much, very openly trying to persuade israel. at the president biden called it a proportional response however

you judgment that may be. clearly, the us wants iran's nuclear infrastructure and nuclear infrastructure and nuclear capability off the table for an israeli strike and a lot of talk about keeping that oil infrastructure off the table because those two categories, especially the new clear, it would just be unprecedented in recent years and it is happened in the past that people have bombed nuclear facilities in the region in various governments have but right now, this is not with the biden administration wants to see. they are still trying this smudge as they can to contain this and try to contain and the israeli response.— israeli response. responded with cnn and _ israeli response. responded with cnn and always - israeli response. responded with cnn and always good . israeli response. responded| with cnn and always good to have your perspective on the programme. the live looked of beirut and you can see that black flume of

smoke. 0ne you can see that black flume of smoke. one in the morning and very dark, that massive explosion and lebanon. we will have more on that developing story right here on bbc news is we get developments. tonight and please go to our website with live updates. donald trump has just taken the stage in butler, pennsylvania, the site where he survived an assassination attempt injuly. let's hear the moment he walked up to the podium. you can hear those cheers of "fight, fight, fight�*! a callback to that moment injuly when he stood up after being shot and pumped his

first in the air. donald trump has been addressing the crowd here in butler, where thousands are gathered.just moments ago, here in butler, where thousands are gathered. just moments ago, he called his would—be assassin a �*vicious monster. and incredible tribute. this is a tribute like no other and he deserves it. to helen and the entire family i can only imagine the depths of your grief but i wanted to know that just like you, will carry his memory in our hearts for as long as we live, everyone on the stadium and everyone that was there on this tragic evening —— tragic evening. we think about cory a lot and i know he is looking down at us from heaven, his entire tech

pin looking at his entire looking at his entire family. and he is with you and he is going to be with us for a long time because, you know, some peoplejust time because, you know, some people just do not die in vain and what is left behind is incredible. so, god bless you, corey. thank you very much. god bless you. helen told me that on the day that they came to the rally, cory was really excited because someone given excited because someone had given him great seats, the ladies of north carolina, this is their 227 the rally. i don't know what's going on with them. those beautiful ladies. but they always seem to have good seats. but cory had the best seats. but cory had the best seatin seats. but cory had the best seat in the house, telling his wife and family on the way over in the car, i'm telling you, he's going to invite me up on

the stage. i do that sometimes, we bring people up to the stage. and she smiled thinking it would never happen and little did anyone realise that cory would be on the stage three months later and an almost immortal position and that's where he is today. he is on the stage and i think, i think it is a truly immortal position. and i think the love he showed on that day throughout his life is the love that sustains the entire movement. love that our families, the love of our communities and the love of our country, more powerful than any hatred and malice because even in the darkest hours, it shines forth as a guide. the thousands of --eole forth as a guide. the thousands of people mentioning, - bullets intended for mr trump killed cory comperatore, a volunteerfire chief, and injured the former

president as well as two other rally attendees. honouring the life of cory comperatore and also a couple of other people injured at that rally. it is a deep part of what has been taking place in butler pennsylvania. 0ur senior north america correspondent gary 0'donoghue was at the rally during the assassination attempt in july. he's also returned for saturday's rally, and filed this report.

three months after he almost lost his life here, his supporters overturned in the thousands. supporters have returned in the thousands. we were here injuly for the first rally and we got to witness that we got to come to this one too. it is very important to come back. i would not of misted. he important to come back. i would not of misted.— not of misted. he gets to finish his _ not of misted. he gets to finish his speech. - not of misted. he gets to finish his speech. he - not of misted. he gets to | finish his speech. he gets not of misted. he gets to i finish his speech. he gets to finish — finish his speech. he gets to finish what he started. hopefully he doesn't get interrupted again this time. we were john the 13th when he got shot. _ were john the 13th when he got shot. we — were john the 13th when he got shot. we want— were john the 13th when he got shot, we want to _ were john the 13th when he got shot, we want to come - were john the 13th when he got shot, we want to come back. shot, we want to come back and pay tribute — shot, we want to come back and pay tribute to _ shot, we want to come back and pay tribute to the _ shot, we want to come back and pay tribute to the cory— pay tribute to the cory comperatore - pay tribute to the cory comperatore family i pay tribute to the cory. comperatore family and pay tribute to the cory- comperatore family and other victims — comperatore family and other victims we _ comperatore family and other victims. we only— comperatore family and other victims. we only got - comperatore family and other victims. we only got to - comperatore family and other victims. we only got to hear. victims. we only got to hear him — victims. we only got to hear him for— victims. we only got to hear him for six _ victims. we only got to hear him for six minutes- victims. we only got to hear him for six minutes and i victims. we only got to hearl him for six minutes and then they— him for six minutes and then they shot _ him for six minutes and then they shot him. _ him for six minutes and then they shot him. and - him for six minutes and then they shot him. and then- him for six minutes and then they shot him. and then it i him for six minutes and then l they shot him. and then it was a nightmare _ if you want to really see something... it's a moment that will go down in history...

six minutes into his speech. watching on right behind donald trump was lucy, who had returned to see him again top green i think it's can be a very special day considering the fact that he was almost killed the fact that he was almost killer ., the fact that he was almost killed an the stage. i think killed on the stage. i think it's going to be amazing, emotional— it's going to be amazing, emotional and _ it's going to be amazing, emotional and i- it's going to be amazing, emotional and i think- it's going to be amazing, emotional and i think a l it's going to be amazing, i emotional and i think a lot of us were _ emotional and i think a lot of us were sitting _ emotional and i think a lot of us were sitting behind - emotional and i think a lot of us were sitting behind him i emotional and i think a lot of. us were sitting behind him that day _ us were sitting behind him that da . . ., ,, , , . , us were sitting behind him that day. wrapping up security all week with — day. wrapping up security all week with some _ day. wrapping up security all week with some local - day. wrapping up security all| week with some local officials expecting as many as 20,000 donald trump supporters to return. in the staunchly republican area, there's huge support for the former president's return although not everyone is happy about it. i think this isjust everyone is happy about it. i think this is just to get people stirred up again and those emotions are very raw couple months ago are going to come back and that's number eight about. i think it's a bad idea, i really do.— eight about. i think it's a bad idea, i really do. elon musk is also attending _ idea, i really do. elon musk is also attending the _ idea, i really do. elon musk is also attending the rally - idea, i really do. elon musk is also attending the rally as i idea, i really do. elon musk is also attending the rally as an| also attending the rally as an ally of donald trump, his media

platform has become a vital channel for the movement. are channel for the movement. are husband and — channel for the movement. are husband and a _ channel for the movement. are husband and a father. a - channel for the movement. are husband and a father. a big i husband and a father. a big art of husband and a father. a big part of today _ husband and a father. a big part of today was _ husband and a father. a big part of today was the i husband and a father. a big i part of today was the honouring of cory comperatore who died during the assassination attempt. his firefighters jacket marking the place where he lost his life protecting his wife and family. let's go live now to our correspondent will grant who's also at the rally in butler. give us a sense of what the atmosphere is like. ibis give us a sense of what the atmosphere is like. as you can imagine. _ atmosphere is like. as you can imagine, there _ atmosphere is like. as you can imagine, there is _ atmosphere is like. as you can imagine, there is a _ atmosphere is like. as you can imagine, there is a sense i atmosphere is like. as you can imagine, there is a sense by l imagine, there is a sense by former president trump when he took to the stage of having been interrupted by the attempt on his life and when he said, as i was saying, two huge cheers from the crowd. real dedication to cory comperatore, the fire chief, former fire chief the lost his life in the

crowd and there was a moment of silence in the playing of of a maria in his name. and there is a sombre tone to it but as always with a donald trump rally, it is combined with attacking his rivals, saying the biotin administration is failing america and that it is vital that he and his movement get back into power and that obviously come his supporters are here, that is what they want to hear from are here, that is what they want to hearfrom him. are here, that is what they want to hear from him. there was a lot _ want to hear from him. there was a lot of— want to hear from him. there was a lot of criticism - want to hear from him. there was a lot of criticism after i was a lot of criticism after the last rally there and a lot of it placed on this secret service for not doing enough to protect the former president and what have you seen so far was the security situation and i'm assuming it's a lot tighter thanit i'm assuming it's a lot tighter than it was last time.- than it was last time. yes, absolutely. _ than it was last time. yes, absolutely. noticeably i than it was last time. yes, i absolutely. noticeably tighter. first and foremost, former president trump is speaking to the audience from behind a

bulletproof glass screen levels not in place two months ago. the security is much wider, secret service personnel placed in series of points where they were previously included a number of roofs. and there is a single point of command, previously there were two, one for law enforcement and the other secret service, all of that led to the failings that ultimately led to the resignation of the then head of the secret service, kimberly now, there's been a realfocus on making sure that the security around donald trump obviously of this event and also general, is much tighter. and a large part of this rally is honouring those who were injured or killed that day and this is still a campaign rally? many people are there to support the president including some celebrity endorsers like elon musk, who was there. what

effect get that have in terms of someone like elon musk, very influential billionaire coming out to support donald trump in this race?— this race? specifically, what is interesting _ this race? specifically, what is interesting is _ this race? specifically, what is interesting is the - this race? specifically, what is interesting is the speed i is interesting is the speed with which elon musk did that after the attempt against donald trump's life. literally a matter of minutes or a matter of hours. i think it helps in terms of his weight on his own social media site. and certainly, i think it is good for the shared star quality but you're particularly right, this is a campaign event. very few days left and i think the energy very much feels in that area, time is running out and this is an attempt to secure pennsylvania.— this is an attempt to secure pennsylvania. thank you very much. pennsylvania. thank you very much- we — pennsylvania. thank you very much. we have _ pennsylvania. thank you very much. we have continuing i much. we have continuing coverage of those major stories on her website and there it is. bbc dot com. we will have more

of the top of the air. —— our website. at the top of the hour. hello. a weather front is approaching us, and that does mean a lot of cloud for many of us. on sunday, quite a few showers too — some of them will be heavy, but i think early in the morning, if you're closer to the north sea coast, there'll be some sunshine. let's have a look at the satellite picture. here's the jet stream pushing the weather front towards us. and that weather front brought a spell of very wet weather saturday evening for cornwall and devon, but i want to talk about the next few days and highlight this feature here. this dart board low coming out of the tropics, that's actually a hurricane which will transition into an extratropical weather system or a mid—latitude weather system. and look at it. if you eyeball it, it's ominously heading in our direction. or is it? well, actually, there's a lot of uncertainty. it could go to the south

of us taking its very strong winds and rain. it could just about clip us. and it looks as though midweek we could see some potentially bad weather across the south of the uk. but it's still some days away and there's really a lot of uncertainty with this weather system. so keep track of the weather forecast. now here's the here and now or sunday morning temperatures hovering around ten degrees so it's not too cold first thing. and rather a lot of cloud with this weather front sweeping off the atlantic. remember pushed by thatjet stream a lot of showers through the morning and lunchtime across western areas around the irish sea into northern ireland again. the further east you are so closer to that north sea coast, the drier it will be. there might be some sunshine around, but i want to show you what's going to happen later on sunday afternoon and evening. the showers in the south really could be quite heavy downpours moving through parts of wales into the midlands and also through the peak district and into northern england, but clearing up towards the south—west later. now monday, i think the gaps between the showers will be bigger, but there'll still be plenty of showers around, so you'll need your brolly at some point or another, but at least we'll have the sunny spells. how about the temperatures

on monday? at best 17 in the sunshine. most of us around about 15 or 16 degrees. so that's monday. how about the week ahead? well, we talked about that potentially bad weather coming to the south. but look at this. by the end of the week we'll see colder northerly winds developing across the uk. and look at that temperature drop in london from 18 down to 12, cardiff from 17 to 11 degrees. so there's a real chill in the air coming in about a week's time by. bye— bye.

this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme. hello and welcome to political thinking, a conversation with, rather than a newsy interrogation of, someone who shapes our political thinking about what has shaped theirs. my guest this week has dreamed of his country becoming independent since he was a young man. john swinney announced his retirement from frontline politics, though, last year at the age of 60, with scotland still very much part of the united kingdom. but he was asked to come back as leader of the

scottish national party and as first minister of scotland when his party faced the latest