Reuters World News - Israeli bombardment, Hezbollah's future, US port strike and Austria far-right win

Episode Date: September 30, 2024

Israel has ramped up strikes on Iran-allied groups in the Middle East after Friday's killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Hamas has said an Israeli strike killed its leader in Lebanon, while another Palestinian militant group said three of its leaders were killed in a strike on Beirut. Israel has also launched attacks on Houthis in Yemen. A port strike on the US East Coast and Gulf of Mexico is set to go ahead on Tuesday, signaling action that could cause delays and snarl supply chains. Plus, a snap election in Japan and the far-right's historic win in Austria. Find today's recommended read here. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter here. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast here. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Israel escalates hostilities against Iran-backed groups in the Middle East after the weekend killing of Hezbollah's leader. Japan's new prime minister calls a snap election, while Austria's far-right celebrates a historic election win, and a major strike hitting ports along the US-East coast is set to go ahead. It's Monday, September 30th. This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines

in just 10 minutes every weekday. I'm Tara Oaks in Liverpool. A weekend of intense Israeli bombardment on Iranian allies in the Middle East, prompting fears that fighting in the region could spin out of control. Militant group Hamas said an Israeli airstrike killed its leader in Lebanon on Monday.

While another Palestinian militant group said three of its leaders were killed in a strike on Beirut, the first attack within city limits. Lebanon's health ministry says more than a thousand people have been killed and 6,000 wounded in the past two weeks without specifying how many were civilians. One million people, a fifth of the population, have fled their homes, the government says.

One of the most prominent figures killed is Hezbollah leader Syed Hassan Nasrallah. Nasrallah's killing in a command HQ on Friday came barely a week after the deadly detonation of thousands of booby-trapped Hezbollah pages and hundreds of radios. Attacks widely blamed on Israel, but which is not claimed. Maya Jabali is in Beirut. So, Maya, what do we know so far about how Israel managed to target Nasrallah? There are some details that have emerged, but much of it remains murky.

What we do know is that he was several floors underground in the southern suburbs of Beirut in what Israel called Hezbollah's central command, but essentially which was a kind of an underground bunker in which he was holding a meeting with some of the other top officials in the group. And a series of strikes, I mean, we heard them ourselves and they were really different than the strikes that we had been hearing even, you know, over the past couple of days in the southern suburbs. It was a series of very sharp booms, just like that. Now, how they got the intelligence that he's there, how they were able to track him to that exact location. These are still questions that everybody in Beirut, the U.S., and I assume even within Tehran, is probably asking themselves. And with their communications devices here and now their leader killed, what's the future for Hezbollah? Can they keep operating?

We have seen them continue to announce rocket attacks onto Israel. But other than that, we really haven't heard much from the group. We don't know when Nasrallah's funeral will be. We haven't heard anything about any kind of interim leadership for the group. So in terms of the kind of organizational leadership, we know very little. So are there any names who are likely to be the new leader? There is Hashem Safiadeen. Hashem Safi Deen is also a senior member of Hezbollah.

He's actually related to Hassan Nasrallah. He's seen to be the most likely successor. But he's also known to have a different style than Hassan Nasrallah. He's thought to be less pragmatic, maybe even tougher. And so if he takes the helm, there are questions about whether the organization will be even more. could become an even tougher organization. Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was moved to a secure location in Iran after Nasrallah's killings, sources have told Reuters.

Israel has also launched airstrikes against a Houthi militia in Yemen. Video posted on social media showed a large fireball and smoke bloom above Yemen's port of Hidada. Israel says the attacks are a response to Houthi missile attacks. accusing the Houthis of operating under Iran's direction and in cooperation with Iraqi militias. The United States has urged a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Lebanon, but has also authorized its military to reinforce in the region.

US President Joe Biden had this to say when asked if all out war in the Middle East could be avoided. It has to be. He said he would be talking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but did not say when. In Japan, Incoming Prime Minister Shigero Ishiba telling a press conference he's calling a snap election for October 27th. It follows his victory in one of the closest ever leadership races for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Ishiba says it's important the new administration is judged by the people of Japan as soon as possible. From a pending election in Japan to a historic win for the far right in Austria's parliamentary poll. Freedom Party leader Herbert Kikil at celebrations in Vienna. Thank you. Thank you, sure. His Eurosceptic, Russia-friendly party now has to find a path to power after capturing 29% of the vote. That's well short of a majority, and leaders of the other parties in Parliament

have already dismissed overtures on forming a coalition. In the southeastern US, a huge clean-up and recovery effort is continuing after Hurricane Helene killed at least 90 people. The storm destroyed roads and bridges and has caused extensive flooding. More than 2 million homes and businesses in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia are still without power. Schools have been closed for three days in Nepal, after storms there triggered landslides and floods.

At least 151 people have died, with dozens more still missing. Donald Trump has continued his campaign with a rally in Pennsylvania, where he attacked immigration and called some categories of immigrants vicious over 10 times during his speech. is his fourth campaign stop in a month in what has become the election's most hotly contested state. Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump have already spent hundreds of millions of dollars on ads in Pennsylvania, more than the total spent in any other state,

and also more per capita. Chinese stocks are on a tear, clocking their biggest single day's gain in 16 years as FOMO sweeps to market. Beijing kicked off a flurry of stimulus measures last week and investors are rushing into equities for fear they will miss out on the rally. Ahead of a week-long national holiday that kicks off on Tuesday. Buy orders are jamming trading systems,

and there's been an explosion in stock turnover. And if you enjoy a deeper dive into some of the economic principles behind Buzzy Market stories, check out our Econ World podcast. There's a link in the pod description. A port strike on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico is set to go ahead tomorrow, meaning the possibility of more delays to supply chains. The International Longshoremen's Association Union

says it so far failed to reach a deal with the US Maritime Alliance. If no agreement has reached by tonight, it will be the first coastwide strike of its kind since 1977. Reports from Maine to Texas will be affected. Lisa Bartline covers the shipping industry and has been following the negotiations. These workers have asked for a 77% raise, reportedly, which sounds a lot like a typical negotiating tactic. You always ask for more than you want.

The feeling among experts is they'll definitely land somewhere above 32%, which is what the dock workers on the West Coast got last year, and also kind of in line with what most other unions are getting. Union workers in general, during the labor shortages of the pandemic, were sort of behind the A ball when it comes to getting raises. If it failed to come to an agreement, How will Americans feel the impact? So shippers were preparing for this. They've known about it for a long time. So they brought in their Halloween costumes in the summertime, I think, in July.

And a lot of the holiday product is already onshore and on their way to retailers. The bigger impact now is like what's on the water. So 75% of bananas come in through East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. They're low value and perishable. So you might see shortages of those. And then there's all sorts of other things, medical supplies, auto parts, machinery. So it's a broad-based impact. These ports handle about 50% of the U.S. trade.

So it's everything. Before we go today, our recommended read is about Chris Christopherson, who's died age 88. He was one of the most influential American singer songwriters of the 70s, when he also starred opposite Barbara Streisand, In A Star is Born. A link to his obituary is a song. in today's pod description.

For more on any of the stories from today, check out Reuters.com or the Reuters app. And to never miss an episode, subscribe on your favorite podcast player. We'll be back tomorrow with our daily headline show.