The Middle East Crisis|Israel-Hezbollah

Israel orders 2,000 Lebanese to leave their homes

Israel orders 2,000 residents of Lebanese communities near the border to leave and head north, AP writes.

The call was published in Arabic on X by the Israeli army spokesperson. The 20 or so communities that they want civilians to leave are south of the Awali River, about 60 kilometers from the border.

In the past, Israel's army has urged residents closer to the border to leave the area. At the time, civilians were not to cross the Litani River, 30 kilometers from the border. Now they have extended the distance that they want civilians to avoid.

 

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Israeli army warns civilians to cross river

The Israeli army warns civilians against driving vehicles south of the Litani River. "There is intense fighting in southern Lebanon," writes IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee in Arabic on X.

The warning applies until further notice. According to the IDF, civilians are being used as human shields by Hezbollah to carry out attacks against Israeli soldiers.

Hezbollah has stated that it shelled Israeli soldiers with artillery in northern Israel, partly at Avivim, partly at Metula.

According to the Lebanese news agency NAA, Israeli shelling against the southern parts of the country has caused widespread destruction. Shops, private property and fields have been destroyed by artillery, machine gun fire and airstrikes.

 

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Rocket alarm heard in Tel Aviv: "A major attack"

Rocket alarms are heard in dozens of cities in northern Israel as well as in Tel Aviv and central parts of the country, reports the Times of Israel. Loud bangs are heard according to the newspaper.

The Times of Israel writes that the incident is a "major rocket attack". A man in his 50s in central Israel was reportedly slightly injured when he received shrapnel in the head.

According to the BBC, three projectiles have been shot down by air defenses in Tel Aviv.

- Rocket alarms were activated in central Israel after projectiles were fired from Lebanon, the Israeli army writes in a statement according to AFP.

The Middle East Crisis|The Reactions

Israeli accusation: US put military in danger

A senior Israeli official is accusing the US of putting Israeli soldiers at risk after leaking attack plans. The Times of Israel writes.

According to the critical Israeli official, Americans leaked information about the operation despite supporting it. However, the official believes that it clearly shows that people are worried in the United States.

- The operation was revealed to try to limit it.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has previously said that a diplomatic solution must be found, but according to the Israeli official, there will be no talks about Lebanon until Israel's military operation is over.

Yesterday, both The Telegraph and the Wall Street Journal wrote with reference to reports that Israeli commandos have struck inside Lebanon and that a ground invasion is likely to follow.

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Turkey accuses Israel of illegal occupation attempt

Turkey calls Israel's incursion into Lebanon an illegal attempt at occupation, writes Reuters. The country's foreign ministry calls on Israel to immediately withdraw its troops from Lebanon's territory.

According to Turkey, Israel's actions threaten regional security and stability. It is added that there will very likely be a new wave of refugees as a result of the fighting.

The Israeli ground invasion across the border in the north began during the night of Tuesday. The Israeli Defense Forces IDF calls it "limited".

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The US provides support: Hezbollah should not be allowed to carry out attacks similar to October 7

The US has given its support to Israel launching ground raids against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has, according to a statement from the Pentagon, spoken with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Galant.

"We agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot carry out attacks like the one on October 7 against Israel's communities in the north," the statement said.

Austin reiterated the US message that a diplomatic solution is needed to secure civilian lives on both sides of the border. He also threatened Iran with "serious consequences" if it carried out a direct attack on Israel.

A White House spokesperson CNN spoke to says Israel's ground operation is in line with the right to self-defense.

- We are of course aware that there is a risk that the mission could be expanded and we will continue to discuss it with the Israelis.

Economy

The port strike in the USA
The US port strike has begun - billions of dollars are expected

About 45,000 dock workers on the US East Coast are going on strike on Tuesday morning. No agreement was reached between the union and the employers before midnight in Philadelphia - and already before twelve o'clock, a dozen or so workers gathered in the port with signs that read "stop the automation", AP writes.

The strike could cost up to 4.5 billion dollars per day, corresponding to roughly 45 billion kroner. That estimate is made by analysts from JP Morgan, according to Reuters.

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The industry: Irresponsible by Biden - shock for the economy

The major port strike that began in the United States is expected to cost the American economy billions and lead to unrest just weeks before the election. Union-friendly Joe Biden has said he does not want to get involved in the conflict - while employers' organizations have called on the White House to end the strike. Bloomberg reports.

"It would be unjustifiable to allow a contract dispute to cause a shock to our economy," Suzanne Clark, CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce, wrote in a letter to Biden on Monday.

Biden has the ability to invoke the Taft-Harley Act of 1947, which gives the president the ability to intervene in conflicts if it affects national security.

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ECB vs inflation
Inflation in the euro zone fell to 1.8 percent

Inflation in the eurozone was 1.8 percent at an annual rate in September, preliminary figures show. It was expected that inflation measured in CPI would have decreased to 1.9 percent, according to Trading Economics' consensus estimate.

The inflation rate has not been this low since April 2021.

Core inflation landed at 2.7 percent. There, an annual rate of 2.8 percent was expected, according to estimates from Trading Economics.

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The future of Spotify
After the setback - Spotify's move of night jobs continues

After the Court of Appeal also denied Spotify exemption for night work, the relocation of the 250 night positions abroad continues. That's what Spotify's press contact Julia Levander writes in an email to the newspaper Kollega.

"Since standby duty is crucial for Spotify to be able to maintain its service, the move is already almost completely completed," she writes.

At the same time, she states that no one in Sweden has lost their jobs due to the move, but affected personnel have been given new schedules. The fact that the company was denied an exemption does not make it more likely that Spotify will sign a collective agreement, according to Levander.
 

Latest news

Bus caught fire in Thailand - 20 children feared dead

More than 20 school children are feared to have died in a bus accident in Thailand, several media write.

The bus caught fire near the capital Bangkok after the children had been on an excursion. According to the emergency services, it was a gas bus.

- This is a very tragic event, says transport minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit according to the BBC.

Thailand is one of the countries in the world with the worst traffic safety, writes AFP.

 

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Hurricane season
130 dead after Hurricane Helene - hundreds missing

The death toll after Hurricane Helene in the United States has risen to 130, AP reports. Hundreds of people are missing.

At the same time, the authorities continue to try to reach the hard-hit areas of North Carolina.

National Guard helicopters have been deployed and special vehicles are being used to deliver supplies.

Even in East Tennessee, the situation is serious. The hurricane has left entire residential areas in ruins, and in the city of Asheville, population 94,000, the drinking water system has been damaged. According to the AP, it could take weeks to repair. Trucks with water have been deployed.

TOP NEWS

Putin's Russia
Russia's defense spending is soaring to record levels

Russia plans to increase defense spending by 25 percent. Thus, they are higher than ever, reports The Guardian.

In 2025, the Russian state is estimated to spend 40 percent of its total expenditure on defense and security.

According to Elina Ribakova, an analyst at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Russian bureaucrats believed last year that the invasion of Ukraine, dubbed the special operation in Russia, would be over soon. That is no longer the case, she tells the Financial Times.

- The gloves have been thrown down. They no longer feel the need to pretend that there will be a quick return to a normal state.

 

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Putin's Russia
39 arrested in Russian raids: "Don't be afraid, it's the FSB"

39 people have been arrested around Russia. According to the security service FBS, those arrested have supported "Ukrainian terrorists", AFP reports.

According to the newspaper Meduza, the arrested are "radicals" between the ages of 14 and 35 and they allegedly incited young people to commit violent acts against "government officials, classmates and teachers".

A video released by the FSB shows how to raid houses and arrest young people. At one point, a woman opens the door when the FSB knocks.
 

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Political situation in Japan
Abe rival Shigeru Ishiba becomes Japan's prime minister

On Tuesday, 67-year-old Shigeru Ishiba will be formally sworn in as Japan's prime minister. He is often described as the rival of the murdered Shinzo Abe within the LDP party. The election of Ishiba marks a swing in Japanese politics from the right to the moderate center, writes The Diplomat.

Although he has worked as a banker, his economic policy is unclear, says Sebastian Maslow, a political scientist at Tokyo University, to DI. The Tokyo Stock Exchange reacted strongly negatively on Monday. The reason is believed to be Ishiba's previous statements about raising taxes for companies and investors, experts told the paper.

In defense policy, however, Ishiba is considered to be much clearer, writes The Diplomat. He has served as Japan's defense minister and has a vision of NATO-like cooperation in the region.

In addition to security policy, Ishiba has a stated ambition to revive the countryside and Japan's small towns, writes Nikkei Asia.

Ishiba has also said that he will "exploit the full potential of renewable energy" and strives to reduce dependence on nuclear power, the newspaper writes.

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NATO's future
Fresh NATO chief "is not worried" about the American election

Today, Dutch Mark Rutte takes over the leadership of NATO after Jens Stoltenberg. The torch was handed over at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday morning. Rutte's message was, among other things, that NATO countries need to increase defense spending.

He also commented on the US presidential election, saying that he is not worried but will be able to cooperate with whoever wins the election.

Rutte also stated that the situation in Ukraine is still at the top of the agenda for NATO. At the same time, the defense alliance follows developments in the Middle East, even if NATO does not have its own role there.

The outgoing Stoltenberg underlined the seriousness.

- We are of course very worried. We support the efforts of NATO members working to de-escalate the situation, Stoltenberg said.