Monday Briefing: The aftermath of Nasrallah’s death

Plus, we retraced one of Mayor Eric Adams's lavish trips to Istanbul.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 30, 2024 By Justin Porter Good morning. We're covering the Hezbollah leader's death and Donald Trump's sharply personal attacks against Kamala Harris. Plus, we retraced one of Mayor Eric Adams's lavish trips to Istanbul. Supporters attending the funeral of Hezbollah fighters in the southern suburbs of Beirut last week. Diego Ibarra Sanchez for The New York Times Israel killed Hezbollah's leader and struck Yemen Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed on Friday near Beirut, Lebanon, in an attack that Israel's military said had hit the militant group's headquarters. Nasrallah was a beacon for anti-Israel forces across the Middle East and beyond, and his death is a major blow to Hezbollah. Hezbollah and Israel's military chief of staff vowed to continue fighting, and Israel bombarded Lebanon over the weekend. Israel also expanded its targeting of Iran-backed militant groups yesterday, striking Yemen after Houthi fighters aimed missiles at Israel. At least four people were killed in the strikes in Yemen. Israel's strike on Nasrallah was the culmination of several startling moves that suggest that the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, feels unconstrained by foreign criticism, analysts say. His authorization of the strike came on the same day that foreign diplomats walked out of his speech to the U.N. General Assembly. In Iran, fissures have opened within the Iranian government over how to respond to Nasrallah's killing. Significantly, Ayatollah Khamenei signaled it would be Hezbollah, not Iran, that would be leading any response to Israel. Details: Two senior Israeli defense officials told The Times that more than 80 bombs were dropped to kill Nasrallah. A Times analysis showed that the attack destroyed at least four apartment buildings, and that the damage was most likely caused by 2,000-pound bombs. Analysis: Over almost a year of war in the Middle East, major powers have proved incapable of stopping or even significantly influencing the fighting, my colleague, Roger Cohen, writes. After the killing of Nasrallah, the Western-led attempt to broker a peace agreement between Israel and Hezbollah seems uncertain. These failures reflect a turbulent world of decentralized authority that seems likely to endure. Donald Trump at a rally in Wisconsin on Saturday. Doug Mills/The New York Times Trump doubled down on insulting language Donald Trump again said that Vice President Kamala Harris was "mentally impaired" during a rally in Pennsylvania yesterday, despite criticism by members of both parties and the American Association of People with Disabilities. On Saturday, he suggested at a rally in Wisconsin that she was "mentally disabled" and had been born that way. Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, said that he thought "the better course to take is to prosecute the case that her policies are destroying the country." Larry Hogan, a former governor of Maryland who is an anti-Trump Republican, called Trump's remarks "insulting" both to Harris and to "people that actually do have mental disabilities." More on the U.S. election Americans head to the polls in less than 40 days. In recent weeks, the Republican National Committee has filed a barrage of election lawsuits across the swing states. Here's a guide to the five cases that could matter most. Donald Trump's running mate, JD Vance, and Vice President Kamala Harris's running mate, Tim Walz, spent this past weekend preparing for the vice-presidential debate scheduled for tomorrow. Autumn in America is prime time for political campaigning and college football. The two collided when Trump and Walz attended big games in the swing states of Michigan and Georgia over the weekend. Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we'll find the answers. Stay up to date: See our poll tracker. Listen to "The Run-Up" podcast. Sign up for the On Politics newsletter. Hurricane Helene destroyed homes in Keaton Beach, Fla. Paul Ratje for The New York Times Hurricane Helene tore through the southeastern U.S. Hurricane Helene carved a devastating path from Florida's gulf coast to Tennessee, decimating some communities and killing more than 90 people across the region. We mapped the destruction, which stretched for more than 600 miles. The damage caused by Helene is severe across the region, and more than 1,270 rescuers have been deployed. Many states remain paralyzed by landslides and power outages, and officials say the death toll is likely to rise. MORE TOP NEWS Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters Nepal: At least 170 people died after three days of monsoon rains caused flooding and landslides. New York City: Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on Friday. Legal experts told The Times that there was a lot of solid evidence against him. Italy: The death of a migrant fruit picker from India has put new focus on the country's conflicted relationship with immigrants. Austria: The far-right Freedom Party came out on top in parliamentary elections for the first time, but it might fall short of forming a government. South Africa: At least 17 people from a single family were killed when gunmen attacked two homesteads, adding to a rising number of mass shootings in the country. Profile: Park Chae-so was the only known undercover agent to meet Kim Jong-il. After a colorful career (and six years in prison), he's sharing his story. SPORTS NEWS Indonesia's forward, Rafael Struick, foreground. Karim Jaafar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Indonesia: The country's passion for soccer turns unknown players into adored superstars. Premier League: Chelsea's Cole Palmer became the first player in league history to score four first-half goals. MORNING READ Clark Hodgin for The New York Times Last week, New York City's mayor pleaded not guilty after he was accused of accepting more than $100,000 in illegal gifts in exchange for using his political influence to help Turkey. A reporter and a photographer for The Times retraced one of Adams's lavish trips to Istanbul, during which he flew in business class on Turkish Airlines and spent a night at a $2,500-per-night luxury hotel suite — for which Adams reportedly paid only $300. Lives lived: Maggie Smith, among the most venerable British actors of her era, died on Friday at 89. Kris Kristofferson, the country singer and songwriter whose hits included "Me and Bobby McGee," died yesterday at 88. CONVERSATION STARTERS S.N.L.'s alumni reunion: "Saturday Night Live" kicked off its 50th season by featuring Maya Rudolph in her long-anticipated return as Kamala Harris. Critic's review: Two food photographers took a trip to Paris in search of one magical bite that would cure a picky eater: their 6-year-old son. 'A watery burlesque': Christian Louboutin enlisted the French Olympic synchronized swimming team to introduce his new collection of stilettos at Paris Fashion Week. ARTS AND IDEAS Michael Tyrone Delaney for The New York Times Ta-Nehisi Coates ruminates on the power of writing Ta-Nehisi Coates's breakthrough memoir, "Between the World and Me," made an immediate impact when it was published in 2015, at the fraught tail end of the Obama era, and catapulted him to prominence in the public conversation on race. Nearly 10 years later, the country and the world are in the midst of another contentious moment. Coates has returned with "The Message," a hybrid of memoir and reportage. The book consists of three journeys — to Senegal, South Carolina and the West Bank — that powerfully haunted Coates. In a video interview with The Times from his home in New York, he reckoned with his wavering faith in journalism as well as his need to keep exploring, questioning and writing. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS David Malosh for The New York Times Cook: These sticky guava ribs are sweet, spicy and splendidly delicious. Listen: Our chief pop music critic weighs in on the Cure's first new music in years as well as Lady Gaga's new album. Wear: Nearly a dozen nurses recommended these shoes for a comfortable wear over a 12-hour shift. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Justin Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018