Morning Briefing: Sept. 26, 2024

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Thursday with, including France’s president saying that Israel cannot expand its operations to Lebanon "without consequence," President Putin saying that Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons if Belarus is attacked, and Ukraine’s Zelenskyy accusing Russia of planning attacks on nuclear facilities.

TOP STORIES

• French president says Israel cannot expand its operations to Lebanon 'without consequence'

The French president said that Israel cannot expand its operations to Lebanon "without consequence," urging all parties to de-escalate the situation.

"Israel cannot, without consequence, just expand its operations to Lebanon. France demands that everyone respect their obligations along the Blue Line," Emmanuel Macron said in his address to the UN General Assembly in New York.

Macron said that France will take steps to ensure that a diplomatic voice can be heard, as it's "indispensable" for protecting civilians and preventing the conflict from spreading across the region.

• Putin says Russia reserves right to use nuclear weapons if Belarus is attacked

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his country reserves the right to use nuclear weapons should an attack take place on neighboring Belarus, its ally in the war on Ukraine.

“We reserve the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression against Russia or Belarus,” Putin said during a Russian Security Council meeting in Moscow on nuclear deterrence, indicating that this issue has been agreed upon with Minsk.

Asserting this right, Putin cited Belarus as a member of the Union State the two countries founded under a 1999 treaty under which they have worked to move closer, a process that has accelerated in recent years.

• Zelenskyy accuses Russia of planning attacks on nuclear facilities

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of planning attacks on nuclear energy facilities in the country.

“Recently I received yet another alarming report from our intelligence. Now (Russian President Vladimir) Putin seems to be planning attacks on our nuclear power plants and their infrastructure, aiming to disconnect the plants from the power grid,” Zelenskyy said, addressing the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

He further accused Russia of using satellites from other countries to collect detailed information, saying that any drone or missile strike on Ukraine’s energy system could lead to a “nuclear disaster.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva highlighted the severity of the situation in the occupied Palestine territories and Lebanon and urged countries with an influence on Israel to get it to end the genocide against Palestinians.
• Italy and Belgium advised their nationals in Lebanon to leave the country amid escalating security concerns in the region.
• An Iranian-backed Iraqi militia group claimed a drone attack on Eilat city in southern Israel.
• Hamas demanded international judicial institutions to take legal action against US Secretary of State Antony Blinken following revelations from an American website on his concealment of Israel's starvation tactics against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
• The death toll from Israeli airstrikes since last Oct. 8 has reached 1,247, including women and children, with some 5,278 injured, a Lebanese official said.
• At least 21 Palestinians were killed in new Israeli attacks in the war-torn Gaza Strip, according to medical sources.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer to inform the US administration that Israel is willing to negotiate a temporary cease-fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
• US President Joe Biden said "an all-out war is possible" in the Middle East with Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
• At least 28 people were killed in southern Ethiopia when a public transport bus plunged into a river,
• The Israeli army said it is preparing for a ground operation in Lebanon as airstrikes continue to pound the country.
• Türkiye cannot ignore the humanitarian crisis faced by the Gazan people, the country's family and social services minister said.
• A federal grand jury in Miami, Florida indicted Ryan Routh, 58, with attempted assassination in relation to this month's attempt on ex-President Donald Trump's life, the Justice Department announced.
• North Korea has warned that Seoul's ports and military bases are "not safe" after a US submarine docked in South Korea.

SPORTS

• Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe suffers thigh injury

Real Madrid's French superstar Kylian Mbappe has suffered a thigh injury.

"Following tests carried out today by Real Madrid's Medical Services on our player Kylian Mbappe, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg. His progress will be monitored," the Spanish club's statement said.

France forward Mbappe, 25, who signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid in July, has scored seven goals in his nine appearances for the Whites.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• China rebukes Taiwan's accusation of 'economic coercion'

China rejected Taiwan's claim of "economic coercion," instead charging the ruling party of the self-ruled island nation with harming the interests of its residents.

"As of now, over 1,000 agricultural products from the Chinese mainland are still unilaterally restricted from being imported into Taiwan," said Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing.

However, Zhu said the pursuit of a "Taiwan independence secession" by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) "seriously harms the interests of compatriots on both sides of the Straits," referring to the Taiwan Strait, which divides the island with mainland China.