THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (USA): Pentagon worries Israel is close to launching ground war in Lebanon. Wave of exploding electronic devices used by Hezbollah members could be a prelude to a wider attack. A wave of deadly explosions of pagers and other electronic devices carried by militants in Lebanon has sharply heightened Pentagon concern about a potential ground war erupting in southern Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. Even before the hundreds of widely dispersed detonations Tuesday and Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told other senior Pentagon officials in a Monday meeting that he feared Israel could soon launch an offensive, after months of back-and-forth rocket and air attacks with Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia group that controls much of southern Lebanon.
THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: Israeli political and defense officials ramped up their rhetoric on Wednesday indicating the IDF would be pivoting its efforts toward the northern border in a “new phase” of the war, amid escalating tensions with Hezbollah following widespread attacks on Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon attributed to Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF chief Herzi Halevi and other officials all issued statements Wednesday evening which appeared to suggest a full-on war with Hezbollah was brewing, hours after a wave of explosions of walkie-talkies and other communications devices used by Hezbollah members across Lebanon caused widespread casualties, echoing a similar attack a day earlier that targeted Hezbollah-issued pagers. The IDF also announced Wednesday that it was redeploying its 98th Division to northern Israel, after months of operations in the Gaza Strip under the Southern Command.
L’ORIENT – LE JOUR (LEBANON): Entre le Hezbollah et Israël, la guerre est bel et bien entrée dans une nouvelle phase. Le dilemme de l’axe pro-iranien: une riposte risquée ou l’effondrement de la capacité de dissuasion face à l’ennemi. Ce qui s’est passé mardi et mercredi relève presque de la science-fiction. Les règles d’engagement entre Israël et le Hezbollah ont été complètement chamboulées après la série d’explosions simultanées de bipeurs et de talkies-walkies.
THE NEW YORK TIMES (USA): Israel’s attack on pagers belonging to Hezbollah on Tuesday was a tactical success that had no clear strategic impact, analysts say. Israel may have hoped that the attack’s brazenness and sophistication would ultimately make Hezbollah more amenable to a cease-fire in the coming weeks, if not immediately. With negotiations over Gaza now at an impasse, the Israeli leadership may believe it has to take more ambitious action against Hezbollah to persuade the group to disentangle its fate from that of Hamas, analysts said. More generally, the attack also highlighted the dissonance between the discipline of Israel’s intelligence agencies, which have the ability to plan operations months or even years ahead, and the messy short-term thinking of Israel’s political leadership.
THE JERUSALEM POST (ISRAEL): Hungary-based pagers manufacturing company BAC Consulting, which manufactured the pagers that exploded across Lebanon on Wednesday, was an Israeli shell company, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing three intelligence officers. The three officers further said that an additional two shell companies were created, which assisted in hiding the identities of those involved in manufacturing the pagers. The report explained that while the company did produce regular pagers for other clients, those manufactured for Hezbollah were “produced separately, they contained batteries laced with explosive”.
AL-AHRAM (EGYPT): On 18 September, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was expected in Cairo for yet another – the 10th – round of talks on the Israeli war on Gaza. Blinken’s visit to Cairo also comes at a time of increased rhetoric from Israel on a possible escalation of military hostilities against south Lebanon. “Supposedly, [Blinken] is coming to discuss a final draft for a deal that should allow for the beginning of an end to the war before 7 October. The general idea is that there would be a ceasefire, the release of hostages, the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, an emergency aid operation to Gaza, and talks on a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, with some security arrangements that will be executed with the support of the US and the help of regional and international players”, said an informed Egyptian source. However, according to the source, it does not seem that Blinken is coming with a deal that Hamas will find convincing. He explained that beyond the political rhetoric, Hamas is not set “after all the damage and losses of life that the Palestinians in Gaza have been enduring for almost a year” to give Israel the hostages it has been holding since 7 October when it launched its resistance operation against Israeli targets. The same source said that Blinken has said before that Netanyahu is not willing to commit to a specific withdrawal date or indeed to the concept of a full withdrawal from Gaza. He added that while there might be a limited breakthrough with regards to the complicated security arrangements for the borders between Egypt and Gaza, which are currently occupied by Israel, there is no reason to think that he has more to offer. According to an Egyptian diplomatic source, “the Americans want to avoid a more vocal mode of tension between Egypt and Israel over the management of the Philadelphi Corridor [between Egypt and Gaza]. It seems that for them this is a priority”. However, he added that what Cairo is saying is that the Egyptian-Israeli “disagreement” over the security measures for the Philadelphi Corridor is not unlikely to reoccur, even if a compromise is reached with US mediation.
ASHARQ AL-AWSAT (GB): Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman reiterated on Wednesday that the Palestinian issue is at the forefront of the Kingdom’s concerns. He reaffirmed that Saudi Arabia will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Delivering the annual address of the King at the Shura Council, the Crown Prince renewed rejection and strong condemnation of the crimes of the Israeli occupation authority against the Palestinian people, ignoring international and humanitarian law in a new and bitter chapter of suffering. While asserting that the Kingdom will not stop its tireless work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, the Crown Prince affirmed that the Kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (HONG KONG, CHINA): Lebanon pager blasts expected to prompt greater caution in China about electronic devices. The blasts targeting Hezbollah members show how supply chains could be weaponised, according to analysts. The deadly pager explosions in Lebanon could prompt increased caution in China about the weaponisation of electric products, analysts have said.
KOMMERSANT (RUSSIA): Москва активизирует контакты с Тегераном на фоне обвинений в поставках баллистических ракет России. Секретарь Совета безопасности России Сергей Шойгу посетил Тегеран с необъявленным визитом. Поездка стала продолжением активных контактов на высшем уровне, в рамках которых президент РФ Владимир Путин на прошлой неделе встретился в Санкт-Петербурге с секретарем иранского Совбеза Али Акбаром Ахмадианом. Подготовка к встрече президентов России и Ирана на саммите БРИКС в Казани проходит в условиях усиления давления Запада на Тегеран в связи с обвинениями в якобы имевших место поставках иранских баллистических ракет России. Отвергая эти обвинения, Москва и Тегеран демонстрируют решимость развивать отношения по всем направлениям, включая чувствительную область безопасности и военно-технических связей.
THE WASHINGTON TIMES (USA): The war in Ukraine has shown that the U.S. must prepare for new forms of conflict and do a better job rapidly integrating new technology and capabilities with older systems, the chair of a panel examining the National Defense Strategy said Tuesday. “The U.S. military lacks both the capabilities and the capacity required to be confident it can deter and prevail in combat,” the report stated. “It needs to do a better job of incorporating new technology at scale; field more and higher-capability platforms, software, and munitions; and deploy innovative concepts to employ them together better”. However, the National Defense Strategy Commission warns that the U.S. defense industry can’t meet the vital equipment, technology and munitions needs of the United States, its allies, and partners. A protracted conflict — especially in multiple regions — would require a much greater capacity to produce, maintain and replenish weapons and munitions stocks, and drones.
THE GUARDIAN (GB): More than 100 Republican former national security and foreign policy officials on Wednesday endorsed Kamala Harris for president in a joint letter, calling Donald Trump “unfit to serve” another term in the White House. Former officials from the presidential administrations of Republicans Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush, George W Bush and Donald Trump, as well as Democrats Bill Clinton and Barack Obama voiced their support for Harris, the Democratic nominee for president in this November’s election. They were joined by some former GOP members of Congress. The letter said: “We believe that the president of the United States must be a principled, serious, and steady leader”.
DAILY SABAH (TURKEY): President Erdoğan on Wednesday assured that his country would not sacrifice its ties with the West for the East or vice versa, downplaying claims of a shifting axis in international relations. Türkiye inches toward membership in BRICS while at the same time seeking to maintain close ties with the West, particularly the European Union. As Ankara aspires to pursue balanced ties in a polarizing world, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan assured the international community that the balance would not be disturbed. “We are utilizing every opportunity to make Türkiye a regional and global power. Our axis, our course is clear. We turned our face to the West but this does not mean we turned our back to the East and stopped developing ties with them,” he told a convention of Turkish contractors behind international projects at an event in the capital Ankara.
LE FIGARO (FRANCE): Le bras de fer entre Macron et Barnier pour la composition du gouvernement. Le chef de l’État et le premier ministre ne s’accordent pas sur les “équilibres” de l’équipe, tandis que les macronistes reprochent à Michel Barnier de vouloir augmenter les impôts. Alors que Michel Barnier est censé chercher des profils pour intégrer son gouvernement, c’est surtout avec Emmanuel Macron qu’il a échangé ces derniers jours. Le premier ministre a vu le président de la République au moins deux fois en quarante-huit heures. Comme l’a révélé Le Figaro, il s’est rendu à l’Élysée à la mi-journée, mercredi, après une rencontre la veille. Le contenu des échanges entre les deux hommes reste nimbé de mystères. Mais de sources concordantes, la discussion entre eux sur la composition de la nouvelle équipe gouvernementale s’est brutalement tendue. Et une crise sévère a éclaté au sommet de l’exécutif.
THE TIMES OF INDIA: Reiterating its long-standing stance of denying support to Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme, the United States has said it will keep enforcing sanctions and employing other measures to safeguard its own national security and prevent proliferation from taking advantage of its financial system. The recent US sanctions had also targeted China-based firms Hubei Huachangda Intelligent Equipment Co, Universal Enterprise, and Xi’an Longde Technology Development Co, alongside Pakistan-based Innovative Equipment and a Chinese national, for knowingly transferring equipment under missile technology restrictions.
DAWN (PAKISTAN): The US State Department has reaffirmed Pakistan’s status as a long-term partner, while also emphasising that Washington will not hesitate to impose sanctions on allies when it comes to protecting its own interests. During a news briefing on Tuesday, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller addressed the recent US decision to sanction companies allegedly supplying components for Pakistan’s missile programme. On Sept 12, the State Department imposed sanctions on three Chinese firms and one Pakistan-based company, citing their involvement in Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme.
NIKKEI (JAPAN): Sri Lanka’s watershed presidential elections: Economy is top concern as voters face a government with no majority for once. Sri Lankans go to the polls to elect a president on Saturday, at a time when the country is struggling to emerge from the worst economic crisis it has faced since gaining independence in 1948. Sri Lankans have suffered a turbulent few years. Fed up with severe shortages of essentials such as food and medicines, and lengthy power cuts, they took to the streets for months in 2022. Those protests culminated in the storming of the presidential palace in July that year, forcing former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country.
LA NACION (ARGENTINA): El fiscal general del régimen chavista, Tarek William Saab, anunció que tramitan la solicitud de una orden de captura contra el presidente argentino, Javier Milei; la secretaria general de Presidencia, Karina Milei, y la ministra de Seguridad, Patricia Bullrich, a quienes les abrieron “una averiguación” por el “robo” del avión venezolano-iraní que estuvo retenido en Buenos Aires desde junio de 2022 y fue enviado a Estados Unidos en febrero pasado. Poco después, el Gobierno emitió una respuesta a través de un comunicado de la Cancillería. “La Argentina repudia las órdenes de aprehensión dictadas por el Fiscal General de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela contra Javier Milei, Karina Milei y Patricia Bullrich, a raíz del incidente del avión de la empresa Emtrasur. El mencionado caso fue resuelto por el Poder Judicial, poder independiente sobre el cual el Ejecutivo no puede ni debe tener injerencia alguna, en aplicación de un acuerdo internacional. El Gobierno argentino recuerda al régimen venezolano que en la Argentina impera la división de poderes y la independencia de los jueces, algo que lamentablemente no ocurre en Venezuela bajo el régimen de Nicolás Maduro”.
NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA (RUSSIA): Определился фаворит в борьбе за пост канцлера Германии. Консервативный блок ХДС/ХСС сделал тактический ход. За год до выборов в Бундестаг он назвал своего кандидата на пост канцлера. Им стал председатель Христианско-демократического союза (ХДС) Фридрих Мерц. Это сделано ради достижения двух целей: избежать ненужной конкуренции внутри блока, которая уже стоила ему поражения в борьбе за пост канцлера в 2021 году, и для того, чтобы сориентировать избирателей. ХДС/ХСС по всем опросам сейчас на пике популярности. Поэтому блок хочет приучить немцев к тому, что через год им придется выбирать между Мерцем и действующим канцлером Олафом Шольцем, ныне теряющим рейтинг.
GLOBAL TIMES (CHINA): The heads of state of China and Nigeria recently decided to elevate their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and build a high-level China-Nigeria community with a shared future. Nigeria's Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told the Global Times in a recent interview that the elevated ties will bring more long-term and in-depth cooperation between the two countries. Nigeria is a major economy in Africa and is China's third-largest trading partner and a key destination for investment in the continent. The bilateral economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has achieved fruitful results. Tuggar said that Nigeria has engaged in trade of agricultural products such as peanuts and sesame with China. Nigeria and China will continue to deepen cooperation in many other areas, such as the construction of key infrastructure like natural gas pipelines, light rail, railways, and fiber optic cables.
O GLOBO (BRASIL): Colômbia suspende negociações com guerrilheiros do ELN após ataque a uma base militar. Delegação do governo na mesa de diálogo adiantou que as conversas só serão retomadas “com uma manifestação inequívoca de vontade de paz” do grupo insurgente.
THE WASHINGTON POST (USA): Fed cuts interest rates by half a point, marking first trim since 2020. The more aggressive decision, announced at the end of the Fed’s two-day policy meeting, marks a major pivot in Fed policy after officials sprinted to catch up to soaring inflation. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates Wednesday by a half-point, turning the page on an era of dangerously high inflation and marking a major shift at the central bank that could bring relief for households and businesses alike. The rate cut, announced at the end of the Fed’s two-day policy meeting, marks the first time officials trimmed borrowing costs since the pandemic’s early days. While central bankers were practically guaranteed to cut rates this week, it was unclear how aggressively they were going to move. They ultimately decided that the economy was strong enough to take an extra dose of pressure off, and that such a big swing would help ensure the job market doesn’t weaken any more than it already has. The Fed’s benchmark rate now sits between 4.75 and 5%.
THE ECONOMIC TIMS (INDIA): The U.S. Federal Reserve has reduced its key interest rate by 50 basis points, a move that Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth believes will not greatly influence investment flows into India. “It’s a 50 bps cut from high level so I don’t see that making any significant impact on the flows (into India). We have to see how things develop going forward”, Seth told reporters. While the US isn’t the first to lower rates, with the UK, Eurozone, and Canada already in this cycle, India remains in a “wait-and-watch” mode. Historically, India has often followed the US in such rate pivots, and it’s likely to do so again. State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman C S Setty has stated that the Reserve Bank is unlikely to lower the benchmark policy rate in 2024 due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding food inflation.
RENMIN RIBAO (CHINA): Cooperation in AI has potential for China, other developing economies. Rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to deliver significant and ongoing opportunities for the world’s economy. This brings a new chance for mutually beneficial cooperation among emerging economies. As AI continues to advance, its potential to affect the economy grows exponentially. Not only are there more types of jobs as a result of the generative AI boom, but companies are investing more in AI-related supply chains. The global AI market was estimated at $196.63 billion in 2023 and is projected to show a compound annual growth rate of 36.6 percent from 2024 to 2030, according to a report by Grand View Research. The continuous innovation by tech giants is driving the adoption of advanced technologies in various industries, such as vehicles, healthcare, and manufacturing. Many developing countries are looking to take a ride on the fast-growing AI engine to consolidate their growth momentum. Such efforts will increase economic growth, improve people's lives, and alleviate poverty.
LA LIBRE (BELGIUM): La population est en train de vieillir en Belgique. Et cette réalité se reflète sur le marché du travail. Le phénomène est même en train de s'accélérer. C'est ce qui ressort d'une étude réalisée par Acerta, groupe actif dans les ressources humaines, dont La Libre a pu prendre connaissance. Une des conclusions de cette étude interpelle: le nombre de travailleurs de plus de 60 ans a augmenté de 60 % en cinq ans! En effet, plus d'un travailleur belge sur dix – 11,5% précisément – a aujourd’hui au moins 60 ans, comme le démontrent encore les chiffres d’Acerta qui s’est penché sur les données de quelque 230 000 travailleurs (ouvriers et employés) sous contrat à durée indéterminée en service auprès d’environ 19 000 employeurs du secteur privé. En 2019, ce chiffre n’était que 7,23 %.
THE MAINICHI SHIMBUN (JAPAN): A record 62.6% of respondents reported not reading a single book per month, making up the majority for the first time, a national language survey by the Cultural Affairs Agency showed Tuesday. The all-time high figure in a survey asking people how many books they read a month, including e-books but not magazines and comics, marks a 15.3 percentage point increase from the last survey conducted in fiscal 2018. But the poll also found that 75.3% of those who do not read books regularly still obtain information from other sources, such as social media posts and online articles, “almost every day”.