Global News Podcast - Israeli air strikes hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and Houthi sites in Yemen

Episode Date: September 30, 2024

Lebanon's health ministry has said more than 50 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Sunday. Also: early results in Austria's general election indicate the far-right Freedom Party is heading for a victory.

Hello, this is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service, with reports and analysis from across the world. The latest news seven days a week. BBC World Service podcasts are supported by advertising. If you're hearing this, you're probably already listening to BBC's award-winning news podcasts. But did you know that you can listen to them without ads? Get current affairs podcasts like Thank you. Amazon Music with a Prime membership. Spend less time on ads and more time with BBC podcasts. This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Janet Jalil and in the early hours of Monday the 30th of September, these are our main stories. Lebanon's health ministry says more than 50 people have been killed in Israel's

continuing airstrikes across the country. Israeli forces have widened their offensive by attacking Houthi power plants and port facilities in Yemen. The far-right Freedom Party in Austria is on course to come first in Sunday's general election. Also in this podcast... We love the music so much and to hear the music, it makes really... Goosebumps. Yes. We hear about the prized Georgian tradition of polyphonic singing. We begin in Lebanon, where the health ministry says more

than 50 people were killed in Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Sunday. It said at least 32 died in attacks in the southern Ein Al-Delb area and 21 more in the eastern Baalbek Himal region. Israel says it struck more than 120 Hezbollah targets. There's been no let-up in the eastern Baalbek-Hemel region. Israel says it struck more than 120 Hezbollah targets. There's been no let-up in the Israeli bombardment since its assassination of Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday. At the same time, Israel has expanded its attack on Iranian-backed militants by hitting Houthi targets in Yemen. Washington has warned Israel against starting an all-out war with Hezbollah, but it also says it's prepared for a reaction from the militant group or its main backer, Iran. From Beirut, here's our Middle East correspondent, Hugo Besheker.

Israel says its offensive against Hezbollah will not stop. And this is proof of it. A massive airstrike on the eastern Bekaa Valley, one of 30 in just one hour. There were also fresh attacks on southern Beirut, the group's stronghold. One of them, this afternoon, happened shortly after we drove through Dahir.

Once Hezbollah's beating hot, it now looks like a ghost town. Streets are empty, shops closed, and people are still trying to flee, with some apparently living on foot. Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati said as many as a million people might have fled their homes across the country. He called it the largest displacement in recent memory. The authorities are struggling to assist everyone in need, with shelters and

hospitals under pressure. Lebanon is now in a tense and anxious wait to see how Hezbollah is going to respond to the attacks that have claimed so many of its leadership. And as an Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon looks imminent, concerns persist about this becoming a wider regional conflict. Speaking to the US network ABC, the White House national security spokesman John Kirby said it seemed likely that Iran would react. Well, their rhetoric certainly suggests they're going to try to do something. I mean, just coming out of Tehran, but we don't really know. We're watching this very, very closely to see how, if and how, Hezbollah and or Iran may react. Probably preparing

for such a scenario, Israel went on the attack on another front today, with airstrikes on the city of Hodeidah in Yemen. The military said it had targeted power plants and a seaport, being used by the Houthis who were supported by Iran. Efforts to de-escalate this conflict have so far failed, and the opposite is happening. Hugo Bechega. Well, Hezbollah says it's recovered the body of its assassinated leader, Hassan Nasrallah, from the wreckage of a building in southern Beirut. More details have emerged of how Israeli forces managed to

locate and kill Nasrallah and several more Hezbollah leaders in Friday's attack. Our security correspondent Frank Gardner reports. Israel's decision to target the Hezbollah leader was a strategic one. It was taken in the clear knowledge it would be raising the stakes dramatically in its ongoing conflict with Iran's allies around the Middle East, what Tehran calls the axis of resistance. Hassan Nasrallah had a metaphorical target on his back from the moment he took over the leadership from his predecessor, Abbas Moussaoui, himself assassinated by Israel in 1992. His whereabouts were supposed to be a closely guarded secret, known only to a tiny handful of his most trusted followers, and in recent years he had rarely been seen except in pre-recorded TV broadcasts.

But the events of the past fortnight have demonstrated just how deeply penetrated Hezbollah's security is by Israeli intelligence. Sabotaging the group's pages with explosives would have taken months of planning amid total secrecy. Israel clearly has human informants on the ground in Lebanon, revealing not just the location of concealed weapons dumps, but the whereabouts of senior commanders. That intelligence led to the airstrike that killed Hassan Nasrallah. Israeli Air Force F-15 warplanes reportedly dropped 80 bunker-busting bombs, hitting the underground cellar in South Beirut, where he was meeting other Hezbollah

leaders. Hassan Nasrallah will be replaced, but it could take years for that new leader to build up a following. And in the current climate, time is probably not on his side. Frank Gardner. Well, the timing of Hassan Nasrallah's funeral has not yet been announced, but it's thought it may be held as early as Monday. Hezbollah has confirmed that another of its senior commanders, Nabil Qaouk, was killed in a separate airstrike on Saturday. There are reports from Iran that the ageing supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, amid concerns that he could also be a target for assassination, has been taken to a safe location. While Iran is

vowing to avenge the Hezbollah leader's death in Lebanon, it seems it wants its proxies to take the lead rather than doing so itself. Parham Ghabadi from BBC Persian told us more about what Iran's leaders had been saying on Sunday. Today, Iranian foreign minister and also Speaker of the Parliament reacted to the killing of Hassan Nasrallah. And they both said that the resistance movement is going to give the proper response to Israel. Now, what they mean by the resistance movement, they're referring to Iranian proxies from Houthis in Yemen to militia groups like Qatab al-Hizbullah in Iraq and also Hezbollah in Lebanon. Now, their comments echoes Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei's statement that was published yesterday, which two key elements were missing in there.

One, he said that he did not mention Iran is going to retaliate. He said that the resistance movement. The other thing was that he said that usually, typically in such situations, you know, in previous assassinations and attacks, they used words like harsh revenge or a heavy slap on the face of Israel and America. This time that was missing. They used a much softer tone and a much more restrained language. They said that his blood would not go unavenged. So this is the two difference. Probably Iranians are calculating the risks of getting into a full-blown war.

And that's why, again, many Iranian officials, including Iranian foreign minister, keep saying that this is a trap by Israel. They want us to get involved in a full-blown war. But hardliners in Iran are not happy with this response. They are furious. Last night when I was watching the Iranian state TV, Iranian hardliners were extremely angry saying that if we do not stop and give a heavy response to Israel, this cycle of violence is going to continue and next time

they're going to target Iran. And this has happened already. Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas leader, was assassinated in Tehran. And Iran did not refrain from giving any retaliatory strike in that example. So this is what Iranians call it, strategic patience. So whether in the coming days they're going to continue using that as strategic patience or give a proper response is yet to be decided. Meanwhile, the supreme leader has gone into hiding. I mean, this may look weak, but at the same time, top officials in Iran are really worried about Israeli intelligence, because if it's been able to penetrate Hezbollah so effectively, it's almost certain it's likely to have done the same with Iran.

That's a very important question, because this is not what only Israelis are saying, but Iranian top officials have been saying it for years years that Israel has managed to infiltrate Iranian intelligence system to the highest level. And one Iranian former intelligence minister said that openly that Iranian officials, top Iranian officials should be scared for their lives. And that's a really serious comments. And we see that Ismail Haniyeh, when he was in Tehran, the exact location was targeted in a building where exactly the flat that he was staying at, that place was located. The same pattern has happened in Lebanon as well. The Hezbollah commanders, they were targeted in their cars. They were targeted in the buildings they were staying, not the entire building, but the exact location was targeted. And also the pagers and walkie-talkies that were exploded.

It shows that Israel has proven that they have won the intelligence war. Apart from the military technologies and equipment that you have, Israelis have proven that they have enough intelligence to target Iranians and its allies anywhere, probably at any time. Baham Gobadi from BBC Persian. A judge here in the UK has ruled that two Russians, a former spy and his daughter, who were poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok

in the southern English city of Salisbury six years ago, will not have to give oral evidence at a public inquiry because of fears for their safety. Sergei and Yulia Skripal have provided written statements instead. Graham Satchel reports. The Novichok attack in 2018 was aimed at Sergei Skripal, a Russian spy who defected and allegedly worked for MI6. The poisoning, widely believed to have been carried out by Russian agents, left Mr Skripal, his daughter Yulia and a police officer in hospital. All survived.

Some weeks later, however, 44-year-old Dawn Sturgis died after being exposed to the poison, which had been left in a discarded perfume bottle. A judge leading an inquiry into her death has now decided Mr Skripal and his daughter will not give evidence in public, saying another attack remains a real risk if their identity or current location is revealed. Videoed interviews recorded by the police in 2018 will

also not be shown. The judge said playing them would add to the risk of identification. The Skripals have provided further written statements. Dawn Sturgis's family had wanted the Skripals to give oral evidence to address what they've called unanswered questions. The inquiry, which is being held instead of an inquest, is due to start next month. Graham Satchel. Still to come... Dogs understand that the things that make life worth living are those things that we do for their own sake.

So can dogs teach us a thing or two about how to be happy? you can listen to them without ads. Get current affairs podcasts like Global News, AmeriCast and The Global Story, plus other great BBC podcasts from history to comedy to true crime, all ad-free. Simply subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts or listen to Amazon Music with a Prime membership. Spend less time on ads and more time with BBC podcasts. You're listening to the Global News Podcast. Let's go now to Austria, where the far-right Freedom Party is on course to come first in Sunday's general election, the latest in a series of victories for hard-right, anti-immigrant and pro-Russian parties in Europe. As we record this podcast, the latest projections give the Freedom Party 29% of the votes, 2% more than the Conservative People's Party. At a rally, the leader of the Freedom Party, Herbert Kickl, said what they had achieved was historic.

We have opened the door to a new era. We are now really going to write this new chapter in Austrian history together. We have internalised the idea that the people come first and then the Chancellor. It's a remarkable comeback for the party after it was embroiled in the so-called Ibiza Gate scandal five years ago, involving members meeting the purported niece of a Russian oligarch. On Sunday evening, I spoke to our correspondent, Bethany Bell, who was on a busy street in Vienna. She told me how the Freedom Party had achieved this turnaround. The Freedom Party has tapped very successfully into a number of voter concerns. It began during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was very critical of COVID lockdowns. And then it's also criticised rising prices in Austria, inflation, and crucially, it has criticised

migration. The leader Herbert Kickl has said he wants to build Fortress Austria to keep migrants out. And also one of the other things that Freedom Party voters were asked about by researchers here, one of the things that has concerned them, they said, was about war. And what the Freedom Party has said is to stress Austria's neutrality and has been very much opposed to EU sanctions on Russia. And the Freedom Party leader, Herbert Kickl, is a very controversial figure. Could he head a coalition government? He certainly wants to head a coalition government. After the election, he said he extended his hand to all the political parties here.

He's a very divisive figure, though. During the election campaign, one of the things he said is that he wants to be a people's chancellor, a Volkskanzler. And that worries some Austrians because it was a term used to describe Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. And there are a number of other issues that other parties say Mr. Kickle is simply too populist. And even tonight, outside the parliament, there was a spontaneous demonstration by people who were saying Kickle must not stay in power. He was a Nazi. But nevertheless, this result in Austria illustrates the rising support across Europe for hard white parties who've tapped into concerns about immigration levels and who are also often pro-Russian? It is another sign of rise in power of groups like that. Mr

Kikl has very close relations with the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, who has described himself as wanting an illiberal democracy and who has been quite vehemently against EU sanctions on Moscow. And one of the things that will be in the mind of Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen is what they do with that in terms of when it comes to who should get the mandate to form a government here. Bethany Bell in Vienna. In Nepal, thousands of members of the security forces have been taking part in relief and rescue efforts after floods and landslides killed around 150 people. At least 50 others are missing. Schools have been shut for three days as the country struggles to cope with its heaviest rains in decades. Julian Marshall spoke to the BBC's Sanjaya Dhakal, who's in the Nepali capital, Kathmandu.

There was an incessant rainfall since Friday and on Sunday from morning there's no rainfall, so rainfall has subsided at least in Kathmandu. And water levels in most of the rivers in Kathmandu and also outside the city, they are receding. So the weather-wise, also it is improving. So after we are all counting the flood aftermath now. And what were the water levels at the peak of this flooding? During the peak of the flooding, one of the major rivers in Kathmandu city, Bagmati, it had almost come to the level of the bridge. So it was really bad situation all around Kathmandu and also outside the valley. Most rivers, they had a very

high current and the water level had reached into two dangerous levels. And which part of the country was worst affected? The flooding happened mostly in east and central Nepal, Kathmandu Valley being one of them. In Kathmandu Valley alone, there were 2,000 houses inundated. 34 people lost their lives. In a highway near Kathmandu, some vehicles were found buried under a landslide and police are just recovering dead bodies from them. They have already recovered at least 27 dead bodies.

These people were headed to Kathmandu when they were caught in a landslide, apparently. And also another neighbouring district of Kabre is also quite badly affected. So it was mostly concentrated in central and eastern Nepal. Sanjaya Dhakal in Nepal. The Hakka is a traditional dance first performed by New Zealand's indigenous Maori community and often associated with its rugby team. But for the past 10 years, it's been France which has held the title for the largest Haka ever performed. Now New Zealand has reclaimed the world record with 6,000 people taking part. Performers travelled from across the country to participate with celebrity

guests including director Taika Waititi and the American television presenter Conan O'Brien. Mickey Bristow reports. This is the men's rugby team from New Zealand who are famous for their enthusiastic performances of the haka before a match. For the Maoris, though, it was a traditional way to welcome a visiting tribe and to inspire warriors going out to battle. Perhaps surprisingly, the previous world record was held by France, who did the haka with 4,000 people. New Zealand have now taken back the crown

with a crowd of men, women and children at a stadium in Auckland. The hacker wasn't always coordinated, but they nevertheless chanted to the rhythmic movement of arms and legs. And this being the hacker, they occasionally pulled frightening faces. The record was confirmed by a band from the Guinness World Records. While the official number is still being counted because it's a large number, I can safely say that you have surpassed the record to beat Officially Amazing. Initial estimates suggested there had been 6,000 doing this particular hacker.

The organisers said it had been a matter of national pride that the record for a New Zealand tradition should be held by New Zealand. Mickey Bristow. Can dogs teach us a thing or two about how to be happy? Do we humans worry too much or simply expect too much out of life? Would we be happier if we channelled our inner dogs? Well, Mark Rowlands

is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Miami and has just written a book called The Happiness of Dogs, Why the Unexamined Life is Most Worth Living. In it, he explains how we can learn from our canine friends about how to live in the moment and be contented with our existence. He's been speaking to Rebecca Kesby. One of the things that dogs know that we've forgotten is there are certain things in life we do for their own sake and there are certain things in life we do for the sake of something else. Most obviously we worked in order to get paid.

I think dogs understand that the things that make life worth living are those things that we do for their own sake. Like playing, sleeping, eating, these sorts of things? Yeah, all the things that they would do just because they want to, not because anyone's making them do it. And we assume that they're happy with this life. How are we grading that? Well, I mean, how do we know that anyone is happy, whether dog or human?

Basically through close personal knowledge and observation of behaviour. I take my dog every day running along the canal. He chases iguanas, they jump into the water, they swim to the other side, and they stay over the other side for the rest of the day. When the next morning comes around, they're back on our side and he repeats the whole thing over and over again. This kind of repetitive activity that aims only at its own continuation, that is when I think he's happiest. I guess it's what, trying to be more simple in our lives and take pleasures in simple things. Is that the message? Well, we developed a capacity that's very limited in dogs and other animals,

a capacity for reflection. And reflection is the ability to think about yourself, about what you're doing and why you're doing it. This has great advantages, but there are also certain disadvantages. As a result, we became very anxious, sort of timorous creatures who were always second guessing ourselves. Instead of just going about our lives and believing things and wanting things, we worry about our lives.

We worry about what it is we believe, what it is we want. And this makes us trouble creatures in a way that other animals, particularly dogs, I think, are not. This is a sort of habitual tendency of human beings to overcomplicate things. I think thinking about animals, what they do is a very good antidote to this basic human tendency towards overcomplication. So if anyone was listening and wanted to become more dog, what would be your top tip? Don't bother because you can't. The closest we become to dogs when we were children. And I think as life goes on, capacities, reflection grow and grow and grow. We basically have lost that ability. Professor Mark Rowlands, author of the book, The Happiness of Dogs, Why the Unexamined Life

is Most Worth Living. The Eurasian country of Georgia is famous for being the birthplace of wine and Joseph Stalin, but it also has another important cultural export. That is polyphonic singing, where two or more melodies are sung by multiple voices. And that long cherished tradition has drawn choirs from around the world to Georgia in the past week. Our reporter, Rehan Dimitri, spoke to them to find out what makes Georgian songs so spellbinding. This is a German choir singing a Georgian classic, Alelo. The choir formed over Zoom during the pandemic. Maren and Sabine are thrilled that their choir is performing in Georgia itself for the first time.

We are all practicing in small ensembles all over Germany and also Austria. It's hard to imagine that we are in Georgia. We love the music so much, and to hear the music, it makes really... Goosebumps. Yes. Can you explain for those who don't know, those who never practice singing,

what is it about specifically this music that makes you feel this way? It touched me, and one song, Georgian song, could be heard so different, not like one song always the same, always another feeling, but always deep. Georgian polyphony is a type of music featuring multiple vocal parts, typically three distinct groups of voices involving harmonies, sung without instrumental accompaniment. International choirs from Europe, US and Canada have gathered in Tbilisi for the country's annual folk festival

to perform alongside Georgian ensembles, sharing their passion for this enchanting music and showcasing their own traditional music. We are we are meant in to music. A Welsh lullaby by Trio Samaya. They are part of a bigger community choir known as Kakali, which means walnut in Georgian. Now they're in season, the green ones. We're just nuts. Liz Womsey from the trio Samaya describes the effect Georgian polyphonic singing has on her. I was a music teacher a long time ago.

That was my training initially. But it was the Georgian songs that just opened my heart to singing in my lower register voice and it changed my life actually and it is a heartfelt experience of open-heartedness i don't know what it is i don't think there's a word for it but but it met my soul. That report by Rehan Dimitri. And that's all from us for now, but there will be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk. You can also find us on X at Global News Pod. This edition was mixed by Nick Randall. The producer was Liam McSheffery. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Janette Joliot. Until next time, goodbye.

If you're hearing this, you're probably already listening to BBC's award-winning news podcasts. But did you know that you can listen to them without ads? Get current affairs podcasts like Global News, AmeriCast and The Global Story, plus other great BBC podcasts from history to comedy to true crime, all ad-free. Simply subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts or listen to Amazon Music with a Prime membership. Spend less time on ads and more time with BBC Podcasts.