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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news:
KILLING OF HASSAN NASRALLAH
Hezbollah has confirmed the death of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, after Israel said it had killed him in an airstrike on Beirut on Saturday. The strike, which Israel said hit the Iranian-backed militia’s underground headquarters, was a sharp escalation of Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah since the group began firing into Israel in solidarity with Hamas after Oct. 7. David Gritten reports for BBC News; Liam Stack. Euan Ward, Aaron Boxerman, and Ephrat Livni report for the New York Times.
Israel probably used U.S.-made 2,000-pound bombs in its strike that killed Nasrallah, according to a review of visuals released by the IDF. Abbie Cheeseman, Meg Kelly and Imogen Piper report for the Washington Post; Aric Toler and Riley Mellen report for the New York Times.
The reports of the planning behind the attack indicate that Israel had an eye on the supposedly secret location for some time. Netanyahu gave permission to undertake the attack from New York, where he had delivered a fiery speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Friday vowing that Israel would continue its military operation in Lebanon, despite a U.S. ceasefire proposal. Dan Sabbagh reports for the Guardian.
KILLING OF HASSAN NASRALLAH – INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Iran has vowed vengeance for Nasrallah’s assassination, saying his killing will “not go unavenged” and that it would “continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine.” However, Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei suggested it would be Hezbollah that would strike back at Israel after Nasrallah’s killing and bombings in Beirut, a sign that he may currently have no way to effectively respond. Peter Beautmont and William Christou report for the Guardian; Al Jazeera reports; Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times.
President Biden called Nasrallah’s assassination “a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.” Meanwhile, a U.S. official stated that the Biden administration is “worried that an attack from Iran is being planned in the wake of Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and is working with Israel on defenses.” Ammer Madhani and Matthew Lee report for AP News; Alex Marquardt reports for CNN.
Shiite demonstrators in Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi led to violent clashes with the police yesterday as they marched toward the U.S. Consulate to denounce the killing of Nasrallah. Reuters reports.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT
Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon yesterday killed over 100 people and injured at least 350 others, according to Lebanon’s ministry of health. Over the past week, Israeli strikes have killed over 1,000 people, including at least 87 children, and displaced nearly a million—almost a fifth of the population. Euan Ward reports for the New York Times; Jaroslav Lukiv reports for BBC News.
Lebanon’s army said yesterday it had arrested over 130 prisoners who had escaped from a detention facility in southern Lebanon, as fears mount over potential civil unrest. Euan Ward reports for the New York Times. The country’s state-run news agency reported a similar bout of unrest at another prison in the country’s east on Saturday.
HOUTHI DEVELOPMENTS
Israel expanded its weekend strikes to the Houthis, hitting the Yemeni port of Hodeidah yesterday, two Israeli officials told Axios. At least four people were killed, according to al-Masirah, the Houthi-run television channel. Videos reviewed by the New York Times show that the explosions originate from two oil storage units at a power station in the city’s north. Ismaeel Naar reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
An Israeli strike early today killed Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin, Hamas’s leader in Lebanon, the group said. Separately, another Palestinian group, the Popular Front of the Liberation of Palestine, said three of its leaders were killed in an Israeli strike that targeted Beirut’s Kola district. Maya Gebeily, Laila Bassam, and Muhammed Al Gebaly report for Reuters.
Gideon Saar, a member of Israel’s opposition, announced yesterday that he would be joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, a move that helps bolster Netanyahu’s fragile coalition. Adam Rasgon reports for the New York Times.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Nine people have been killed and 12 injured in twin Russian drone strikes on a hospital in Sumy on Saturday, Ukrainian officials say. Alex Binley and Jaroslav Lukiv report for BBC News.
Over 100 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russia yesterday, officials said, in one of the largest barrages since the start of the war. AP News reports.
U.S. FOREIGN RELATIONS
Two U.S. airstrikes in Syria killed 337 militants associated with the self-styled Islamic State group and an al-Qaeda-linked group, the U.S. military said yesterday. CENTCOM said it struck northwest Syria on Tuesday, while it targeted an IS training camp in central Syria on Sept. 16. AP News reports.
The Justice Department unsealed an indictment Friday charging three Iranians over their alleged involvement in hacking emails from former President Trump’s campaign. Prosecutors say the three men were all employed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and engaged in a “wide-ranging hacking campaign,” including current and former U.S. government officials, the media, NGOs, and “individuals associated with U.S. political campaigns.” Katherine Faulders and Alexander Mallin report for ABC News.
The United States has changed its tack on pushing for the U.N. Security Council to ask for a plan to transform Haiti’s security mission plan into a formal U.N. peacekeeping operation, a move some diplomats said was made to appease Russia and China. Michelle Nichols reports for Reuters.
The United States has approved $567 million in defense support for Taiwan, the White House said. Reuters reports.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The Justice Department sued Alabama on Friday over the state’s effort to remove over 3,000 names from its voter rolls, arguing the prohibition is “too close” to the November election. Devan Cole reports for CNN.
The Justice Department revealed an indictment Friday charging a Florida man with threatening to kill two people in 2021, one of which was his political opponent in the 2022 election for Florida’s 13th Congressional District. Raquel Coronell Uribe reports for NBC News.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Austria’s far-right anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPÖ) is set to win the national election, early projections from yesterday’s exit polls show. It would be the first national victory for the country’s far right since World War II. Kate Brady reports for the Washington Post.
Marine Le Pen, her National Rally party, and 26 other individuals are facing trial today, accused of embezzling the European Parliament funds between 2004-2016. Le Pen has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. If found guilty, she faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a €1 million fine. Victor Goury-Laffont reports for POLITICO.
Norway is considering building a fence on its border with Russia, a minister said, a move inspired by Finland’s Russian border project. Jari Tanner reports for AP News.
Brazil’s Supreme Court on Friday added conditions for Elon Musk’s X to have its service established in the country, a day after the platform said it had complied with the judge’s demands. Mauricio Saverse reports for AP News.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said yesterday it was on alert after detecting “multiple waves” of missiles firing deep in inland China, days after Beijing said it had successfully test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile. Reuters reports.
Japan’s incoming Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishibia, said today that he will call a general election for Oct. 27 following his recent victory for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Reuters reports.