Ever since the start of the escalation in South Lebanon last October, with the harsh destruction and the dire economic situation of the residents of South and Central Lebanon, we have witnessed a significant rise of voices criticizing Hezbollah’s conduct.
It appears that Lebanon is being hijacked by foreign interests, utilizing Hezbollah, leading the beautiful and multicultural country into disaster.
Russia’s economy and war effort is coming under increasing strain, which will pose increasingly acute challenges to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ability to sustain the war over the long term. The Washington Post reported on October 27 that the Russian economy is “in danger of overheating,” noting that Russia’s excessively high military spending has fueled economic growth in a way that has forced Russian companies to artificially raise their salaries in order to fulfill labor demands by remaining competitive with Russia’s high military salaries.[1] The Washington Post quoted Russian Central Bank Head Elvira Nabiullina, who warned in July 2024 that Russia’s labor force and production capacity are “almost exhausted.” The Washington Post noted that private Russian companies are struggling to keep up with Russian military salaries and are increasingly having to offer wages several times higher than the typical industry averages. ISW has recently reported that Russian regional authorities are significantly increasing the one-time signing bonuses for Russian contract servicemembers in order to sustain Russia’s rate of force generation (roughly 30,000 troops per month), which underscores the fact that Russia does not have an indefinite pool of manpower and must financially and socially reckon with the ever-growing costs of replenishing its frontline losses via various force-generation avenues.[2] The Washington Post also noted that Russia’s stringent migration policies, particularly after the March 2024 Crocus City Hall attack, have further depleted Russia’s labor pool and amplified economic frictions. This has particularly become the case as migrant workers are increasingly identifying Russia as a hostile and unattractive place to relocate for work.[3] ISW has reported at length on the balance that Putin is trying to strike between catering to his pro-war ultranationalist constituency, which espouses extreme anti-migrant sentiments, and his practical need to leverage migrant labor both economically and militarily.[4]
Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party has likely won a simple majority in the Georgian parliamentary election held on October 26, 2024, according to preliminary results. Partial preliminary results released by the Georgian Central Election Committee (CEC) on October 26 indicate that the Georgian Dream party will likely win the majority of seats in parliament, but the results are neither complete nor final.[1] The results suggest that Georgian Dream will form the new Georgian government, but that it will not have the 113 seats required to obtain the “constitutional majority” it needs to pursue some of the goals it has outlined, including outlawing nearly all opposition parties.[2] The CEC reported that voter turnout was nearly 59 percent- the highest since 2012 when Georgian Dream first came to power.[3]
On October 20, Moldova will hold its presidential election. At first glance, there seems to be little suspense — polls show that the incumbent president, Maia Sandu, is the overwhelming favorite. However, her chances of winning in the first round could be threatened by a network of supporters loyal to the exiled Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor. Estimates suggest that this network includes between 120,000 and 400,000 people, making up around 10% of the electorate. At a critical moment, these supporters are expected to receive instructions on how to vote. Shor is also rallying people to vote against Moldova’s European integration in a referendum set to take place on the same day. A defeat in the referendum would be a serious blow to Sandu, giving her opponents ammunition to claim that the country is not truly interested in joining the European Union.
The recent expansion of BRICS presents considerable geopolitical ramifications, particularly for Russia, which has leveraged its membership to mitigate the economic and political isolation enforced by the United States and NATO since the commencement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Israel has made clear that this attack marks only the beginning
Israel has launched air strikes across Iran—and pushed the Middle East closer towards a devastating wider war.
The United States and Britain hypocritically call for “diplomacy” and “de-escalation”, but back the terror state as it goes on the rampage.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the armed wing of the Autonomous Administration, has announced the restructuring of the “Deir-ez-Zor Military Council”, al-Watan writes.
The unrecognized Kurdish Autonomous Administration (AA) has walked back controversial remarks made by Ilham Ahmad, the co-chair of its Department of Foreign Relations. Ahmad had previously offered Germany the opportunity to deport Syrians, including those suspected or convicted of crimes, to areas under the administration’s control, instead of cooperating with Damascus. This offer stirred tension with the Syrian government.
While Syrian regime media reported that the attack occurred on the Lebanese side, the “Voice of the Capital” website suggested it hit the Wadi al-Harir area, which lies between Lebanon and Syria.
For the second time, an Israeli airstrike has targeted the main Masnaa/Jdeidat Yabous border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, further damaging this critical route. Local sources informed Al-Modon that an Israeli warplane, flying over the Lebanese Bekaa region, carried out two airstrikes, creating a new crater on the road connecting Lebanon to Syria. This second crater, though smaller than the one caused by an earlier strike three weeks ago, inflicted additional damage on the main artery between the two countries.
Today’s news round provides an in-depth look at escalating tensions and conflicts across Syria. From Turkish military strikes targeting key facilities in northeastern Syria to Ankara’s veiled warnings to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regarding their actions near the de-escalation zones, the situation continues to evolve. We also cover diplomatic developments, including a message from China’s Premier to Syrian leadership, and international reactions to the refugee crisis and violence in the region. Additionally, the U.S. expresses concern over the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, emphasizing the challenges and dangers faced by those displaced.
“In order to maintain a degree of separation from the terror cells it operates in Europe and to ensure plausible deniability, there is no direct contact between Tehran and members of the cells. In the case of the recently detained French cell, instructions on where and when to carry out attacks were relayed via international networks of criminals and drug smugglers.” — Daniel Dolev, Israeli investigative journalist, shomrim.news, September 5, 2024.