Morning Briefing: Sept. 18, 2024

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Wednesday with, including a mass pager explosion in Lebanon, Palestine's resolution at UN General Assembly against Israeli occupation, and a crucial election in Kashmir.

TOP STORIES

• At least 9 killed, thousands injured after mass pager explosion in Lebanon

At least nine people, including a child, were killed in a mass explosion of wireless communication devices known as pagers in different areas in Lebanon, Health Minister Firas Al-Abiad said on Tuesday.

Some 2,750 other people were also injured, including 200 in critical condition, in an initial toll, he added at a press conference in Beirut. The minister told Anadolu early Tuesday that hundreds of people were injured in the mass device explosions across Lebanon.

Lebanese media suggested that the devices exploded after an Israeli breach of the communication system. Hezbollah confirmed that at least two members were killed and many others injured in the mass explosion. “At approximately 3:30 p.m. (local time) on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, several pager devices used by various members of Hezbollah units and institutions exploded,” the group said in a statement.

• Palestine submits draft resolution to UN General Assembly for Israel to end occupation

The Palestinian Permanent Mission to the UN submitted a first draft resolution Tuesday to the General Assembly demanding Israel end its presence in the occupied Palestinian territories within 12 months.

The move came after the General Assembly granted the mission additional rights and privileges to participate at the UN.

An emergency session was held at the 79th UN General Assembly on the legal consequences of Israel's activities in occupied Palestinian territories.

UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang reiterated the International Court of Justice's "advisory opinion" on Israel's actions in occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

• Kashmiris vote in crucial elections, 1st after loss of autonomy

Polls opened early Wednesday in Indian-administered Kashmir for crucial assembly elections, the first since 2014.

Voting will be held in three phases – Sept. 18, Sept. 25 and Oct. 1 -- followed by counting and results on Oct. 8. The elections have greater significance as they are also the first since India scrapped the Muslim-majority region’s special autonomy in August 2019.

According to the Election Commission of India, nearly 9 million people are registered to vote for the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. The seats are distributed between the two areas that together make up the union territory – 47 for Kashmir and 43 for Jammu.

A total of 219 candidates are in the fray for the 24 constituencies in the first phase, including 16 in southern Kashmir districts that until recently were the hub of anti-India armed insurgency.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Lebanese social media users extensively shared the name and images of Fatima Jaafar Abdullah on Tuesday, making her the most notable victim of wireless pager explosions that rocked the country.
• North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles Wednesday in a northeastern direction, the South Korean military said.
• Two people were killed on Tuesday evening in an Israeli airstrike on the town of Majdal Selm in southern Lebanon, Health Ministry said.
• The State Department said Tuesday that the US is gathering information about a mass explosion of pagers in Lebanon.
• Iranian Ambassador in Beirut Mojtabi Amani was reportedly injured in the mass explosion of handheld pager communication devices in Lebanon on Tuesday, according to state television.
• India’s top court on Tuesday paused “bulldozer actions,” barring demolition of properties without its permission.
• US President Joe Biden urged Sudan's warring parties Tuesday to re-engage in negotiations and facilitate humanitarian access amid a war that has been ongoing for more than 17 months.
• Israel targeted Hezbollah by hiding explosive material in Taiwan-made pagers imported into Lebanon, according to a report citing American and other officials briefed on Tuesday's pager explosions.

SPORTS

• Bayern Munich hammer Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 in Champions League opener

A rampant Bayern Munich thrashed Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 to make a superb start to the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

The German giants' English star Harry Kane, 31, scored four goals at Munich's Allianz Arena to be named the man of the match.

Kane made a hat-trick of penalties in the 19th, 73rd and 78th minutes and scored an easy chance in the area in the 57th minute to play a key role in Bayern Munich's big win.

• Galatasaray goalkeeper Fernando Muslera suspended for 3 matches in UEFA Europa League

Galatasaray's Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera was suspended Tuesday for three matches in the UEFA Europa League for violent behavior in the club's previous match.

The second-tier Europa League football tournament unveiled the booking list before phase matchday 1 with Muslera, 38, ineligible for the club’s first three matches.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• US telecom firm AT&T to pay $13M for data breach

American telecommunications firm AT&T has agreed to pay $13 million for a data breach of a cloud environment last year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Tuesday.

The US agency said in a statement that threat actors exfiltrated AT&T customer information from the vendor’s cloud environment in January 2023.

• Motorola stocks decline after explosion of pagers in Lebanon

American multinational telecommunications company Motorola saw its stock price decline after reported explosion of pagers in Lebanon.

Motorola stock price closed Thursday at $438.91 per share on the New York Stock Exchange, posting a daily loss of 0.96%, after ending Wednesday at $443.18 a share.