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HeadlinesSeptember 30, 2024

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Israel Kills Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah; Netanyahu Addresses U.N. Despite Growing Pariah Status

Sep 30, 2024
Image Credit: via Social Media (photo left)

Lebanon is marking three days of mourning after Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah Friday in a massive attack that leveled multiple high-rise apartment buildings in a suburb south of Beirut. Nasrallah had led Hezbollah since 1992 and was widely considered one of the most powerful figures in the Middle East. Multiple news outlets report Israel likely used U.S.-made 2,000-pound BLU-109 bombs in the attack. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both described Nasrallah’s death as a “measure of justice.” But on the streets of Beirut, Lebanese residents vowed to keep resisting the Israeli attacks.

Françoise Azori: “You won’t be able to destroy us, whatever you do, however much you bomb, however much you displace people. We will stay here. We won’t leave. This is our country, and we’re staying. Do whatever you want to do. We don’t care.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the order to kill Nasrallah shortly after giving a speech at the United Nations General Assembly here in New York. As he was being introduced at the U.N., dozens of diplomats walked out of the General Assembly hall in protest.

Iran responded to the assassination of Nasrallah by seeking an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, warning Israel is “pushing the entire region into an all-out catastrophe.” A prominent general in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard was also killed in Friday’s attack on Nasrallah.

Over the past 24 hours, Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 105 people, bringing the death toll over the past two weeks to more than 1,000, with 6,000 people injured. The Israeli attacks have also displaced about 1 million people in Lebanon. More than 100,000 people have fled from Lebanon to Syria. Earlier today, Israel killed the head of Hamas in Lebanon along with his wife, son and daughter in a strike on their home in a Palestinian refugee camp. In a separate strike inside Beirut, Israel killed three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Fears are now growing Israel may soon launch a ground invasion of Lebanon. Earlier today, Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, vowed the group is ready to confront an Israeli invasion.

Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza Kill More Displaced Palestinians, Journalist Wafa al-Udaini

Sep 30, 2024
Image Credit: via Social Media

In Gaza, Israel is continuing to attack schools where displaced Palestinians have sought shelter. Earlier today, an Israeli warplane bombed a school in Beit Lahia, killing at least two people. In Deir al-Balah, another Israeli strike killed Palestinian journalist Wafa al-Udaini and three of her family members, including two children. On Sunday, at least four people were killed in northern Gaza in another Israeli strike on a school turned shelter.

Israeli Attack on Yemen Kills at Least 4, Injures 29

Sep 30, 2024

Israel also launched a large attack on Yemen’s port of Hodeidah Sunday, one day after the Houthis fired a missile at Tel Aviv. The Yemeni Health Ministry said at least four people were killed and 29 injured in the Israeli attack.

“This Must Be a Wake-up Call for Climate Justice”: Hurricane Helene’s Death Toll Nears 100

Sep 30, 2024
Image Credit: Instagram / @nctradlines

“An unprecedented tragedy.” Those were the words of North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper after Hurricane Helene devastated a swath of the country from Florida to Tennessee. The storm’s death toll is nearing 100 and expected to rise as search and rescue teams reach areas cut off by catastrophic flooding and landslides. Millions have lost power in what is expected to become one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history.

At least 30 deaths occurred in Buncombe County, North Carolina, where the city of Asheville has been largely cut off after the Swannanoa River crested six feet above previous records, flooding entire neighborhoods. City officials in Asheville said residents may not have access to clean water for weeks after the storm severely damaged the city’s water treatment plant and piping system. Food and water are now being airlifted into Asheville since many roads leading into the area have been destroyed.

Hurricane Helene made landfall on Friday in Florida’s Big Bend as a 140 mile-per-hour Category 4 hurricane that had been fueled by abnormally warm water in the Gulf Of Mexico. On Saturday, Greenpeace posted a message on social media reading, “Hurricane Helene Must Be a Wake-up call for Climate Justice.”

200 People Killed in Monsoon Flooding in Nepal

Sep 30, 2024

In Nepal, nonstop monsoon rains and floods over the weekend killed nearly 200 people as rescue teams continue to search through the wreckage in the capital Kathmandu. People were left marooned on rooftops as streets turned into rivers and major roadways became blocked. It was Kathmandu’s heaviest rainfall in half a century, as the climate crisis intensifies extreme weather events.

Over 50 Refugees Believed to Be Dead in Canary Islands Shipwreck

Sep 30, 2024

Spanish authorities say 48 people are missing after a boat carrying refugees from Mali, Mauritania and Senegal capsized near the Canary Islands. Nine deaths, including a child, have been confirmed. Another 27 people have been rescued. The disaster could become the deadliest in the Canary Islands in 30 years. A Spanish nonprofit reports an average of 33 deaths per day for refugees trying to reach Spain in the first five months of 2024, as many European governments continue to crack down on asylum seekers and promote xenophobic rhetoric.

“A Catastrophe”: Austria’s Nazi-Created Freedom Party Wins Parliamentary Election

Sep 30, 2024

In Austria, the far-right Freedom Party won this weekend’s parliamentary election, edging out the ruling conservatives and sending shockwaves throughout Europe. But it’s unclear if the Freedom Party will be able to form a governing coalition, as all of its rivals have ruled out collaboration. Party leader Herbert Kickl ran on a nationalist platform, pledging to restrict asylum and migration and expel non-EU citizens. The Freedom Party was founded in the wake of World War II by former Nazis. On Sunday, protesters gathered outside the Parliament building in Vienna chanting, “Nazis, get out of Parliament.”

Johanna Franz: “That means social cuts for Austria. That means lower salaries. That means a catastrophe, especially for migrants and for the women who are demonstrating in favor of abortion again. We started demonstrating 40 years ago, and I can’t do it anymore.”

Ukraine Says Putin “Waging War on Hospitals” as Conflict Grinds On

Sep 30, 2024
Image Credit: State Emergency Service of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of “waging war on hospitals” after Russia struck a hospital in the city of Sumy, killing 10 people. Meanwhile, Ukraine launched one of its largest drone strikes on Russia on Saturday night. Russian military authorities report they shot down 125 drones during the attack.

Egypt Refuses to Release Political Prisoner Alaa Abd El-Fattah, Extends 5-Year Sentence by 2 Years

Sep 30, 2024

Authorities in Egypt are refusing to release Alaa Abd El-Fattah, the country’s most prominent political prisoner. He was due to be released on Sunday after serving a five-year sentence, but his sentence has been extended by another two years. Last week, a coalition of 59 civil society organizations called for Egypt to release the British Egyptian activist. His mother, Laila Soueif, spoke to Reuters last week.

Laila Soueif: “I’m definitely angry, really angry, from the way things are happening, and of course angry about him continuing to be imprisoned. He wasn’t supposed to be in jail for five years, let alone the five years before in his first jail term. I’m angry about what happened now and what is happening. But I don’t have the feeling that I was expecting something to happen and it did not happen. I never expect good things.”

Click here to see our interviews with Alaa’s mother and sister in Egypt.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump Ramp Up Anti-Immigration Threats on Campaign Trail

Sep 30, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris visited the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona on Friday and pushed for new restrictions on asylum seekers.

Vice President Kamala Harris: “Those who cross our borders unlawfully will be apprehended and removed and barred from reentering for five years. We will pursue more severe criminal charges against repeat violators. And if someone does not make an asylum request at a legal point of entry and instead crosses our border unlawfully, they will be barred from receiving asylum.”

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is escalating his anti-immigrant rhetoric, describing immigrants as animals during a campaign rally in Wisconsin.

Donald Trump: “They don’t commit crimes like us. No, no. They make our criminals look like babies. These are stone-cold killers. They’ll walk into your kitchen. They’ll cut your throat.”

During the same speech, he said Joe Biden became mentally impaired and that Kamala was born mentally impaired. Meanwhile, Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz are preparing for Tuesday’s vice-presidential debate here in New York.

In other election news, the Department of Justice has sued the state of Alabama after it purged more than 3,000 names from its voter rolls.

Gov. Newsom Vetoes Bill That Would Have Regulated Dangers of AI

Sep 30, 2024

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom is facing backlash from artists, lawmakers, labor groups and others after he vetoed a bill Sunday that sought to regulate the artificial intelligence industry. The bill would have required tech companies to stress test AI models before releasing them on the market, held companies legally liable for harms caused by their AI tech, and enabled a “kill switch” for AI technology that was abused or went rogue. Backers of the bill accused Gavin Newsom of being in the pocket of Silicon Valley.

Fire at Georgia’s BioLab Plant Leads to Mass Evacuation, Shelter-in-Place Orders

Sep 30, 2024

In Georgia, a fire at the BioLab chemical plant in Conyers sent massive plumes of thick smoke into the air Sunday, prompting the evacuation of some 17,000 residents and shelter-in-place orders for others. It’s BioLab’s third fire in seven years. Conyers has a majority-Black population.

U.K. Climate Activists Recreate Soup Attack on Van Gogh Painting After Sentencing of Original Protesters

Sep 30, 2024

In the U.K., climate activists from Just Stop Oil threw cans of tomato soup at two Vincent van Gogh paintings, including Sunflowers, at London’s National Gallery on Friday. The action came just hours after a London judge sentenced two other activists to prison for throwing soup at the same painting and gluing themselves to the walls of the National Gallery two years ago. The judge said his harsh sentences of up to two years in prison for Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, both in their early twenties, was meant to deter protesters from such acts of civil disobedience.

It’s the latest in a string of criminal prosecutions against activists in the U.K. Ahead of Friday’s sentence, over 100 artists and art workers signed an open letter asking for leniency for Plummer and Holland. Protesters also rallied outside the London court to show support for the two activists, who have been described as political prisoners.

Paddy Friend: “Up until recently in this country, peaceful, nonviolent people who protested weren’t locked up. That was really rare. And in the last few years, and particularly in the last sort of two months, basically, almost 50 people have been locked up for daring to nonviolently, you know, resist the oil industry, resist the genocide in Gaza. And that’s just not acceptable in a democracy.”

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