Elbahrain.net Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had agreed to a 21-day ceasefire just days before he was assassinated by Israel.

The temporary ceasefire was called for by US President Joe Biden, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and other allies during last week’s UN General Assembly.

“He [Nasrallah] agreed, he agreed,” Habib told Christiane Amanpour in an interview aired on Wednesday.

“We agreed completely. Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire but consulting with Hezbollah. The [Lebanese House] Speaker Mr. Nabih Berri consulted with Hezbollah and we informed the Americans and the French what happened. And they told us that Mr. [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu also agreed on the statement that was issued by both presidents [Biden and Macron.]”

White House senior adviser Amos Hochstein was then set to go to Lebanon to negotiate the ceasefire, Habib continued.

“They told us that Mr. Netanyahu agreed on this and so we also got the agreement of Hezbollah on that and you know what happened since then,” the foreign minister added.

Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut.

A day earlier, a joint statement issued by the United States, France, Australia, Canada, the European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Qatar called for a 21-day ceasefire, “to give diplomacy a chance to succeed and avoid further escalations across the border.”

A Western source familiar with the negotiations also said Hezbollah had agreed to the temporary truce shortly before the US released the proposal last week. The source didn’t say whether the decision had come directly from Nasrallah, but said that for the movement to agree, they would have needed his approval. A second source familiar with the talks agreed that the US was aware that Hezbollah was agreeing to the ceasefire.

However, an official from the Biden administration told CNN that Nasrallah himself agreeing to the deal is “not something we have heard before. If true, [it] was never communicated to us.”

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller did not rule out that it had happened, but also said the US was not aware.

“I can’t speak to whether he ever agreed to it and told somebody inside Lebanon. Obviously, that could be something that happened that we wouldn’t be aware of. I can tell you that, if that’s true, it was never communicated to us in any way shape or form,” Miller told CNN at a press briefing Thursday.

A US official previously told CNN that the US-led statement had also been greenlit by Israel after working on it together for several days. On a hastily-arranged call that night, senior Biden administration officials told reporters with confidence: “the ceasefire will be for 21 days” across the Lebanon-Israel border.

But hours later, Prime Minister Benjajmin Netanyahu said Israel would “continue to hit Hezbollah with all our might.” Israeli officials tried to explain what happened as an “honest misunderstanding,” saying they thought the proposal “was the start of a process that could ultimately lead to a ceasefire.”

The US official said that the administration retreated from pushing last week’s ceasefire plan once they learned Israel may try to take out Nasrallah.

In response to a question on the United States’ diminishing influence in the region, Habib said Washington was “always important in this regard.”

“I don’t think we have an alternative. We need the United States’ help. Whether we get it or not, we’re not sure yet, but [the] United States is very important, vital for the ceasefire to happen,” said Habib.

Elbahrain.net What little sense of security remaining in the Lebanese capital appeared to be destroyed as Israel attacked the heart of Beirut early on Thursday morning.

Israel has been pounding Beirut’s southern suburbs, which are home to Hezbollah, for about a week now. However, this attack in a Shia neighborhood close to the parliament building—a section of the city that has been spared since Israel’s battle with Iran in 2006—suggested that Israel’s campaign would be rapidly growing in breadth.

People were startled out of sleep by the missile’s smash and boom, and windows all along the skyline lit up. People in the capital panickedly called their loved ones, trying to figure out where Israel’s bombs had fallen this time, as a thick column of smoke ascended from the center of the city.

According to the health ministry and the Islamic Health Authority itself, the attack destroyed an office of the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Authority in the central Bashura area, killing nine persons, including seven medical professionals.

People were walking in a stupor on the street where the strike had an impact. Women carried babies in their arms, as they navigated through the debris. In contrast to the southern suburbs and other regions of the nation, this neighborhood, which is predominantly Shia-majority, received no evacuation orders.

The massive Mohammad al-Amin mosque, located along the street, is a symbol of the approximately one million people who have been forced to flee their homes due to Israel’s air campaign in Lebanon, which started last Monday.

Families poured into the mosque’s grounds on Thursday as they fled the central Beirut strike. Many of the people who had already been camping out there were packing up their possessions to go home just as they arrived.

The recently uprooted were displacing the previously homeless, who were now heading north of the city in search of safer grounds.

“The entire mosque trembled. People fled, fearing that they might be bombarded, according to Fatima, a middle-aged woman. Sitting against a column, she was on a cardboard box that had been folded up. “And others arrived just as they ran away.”

Had I not been so ill, I would have also departed. However, I lack the energy to be moved again.

Amid the rising colonnades of the mosque, the Mostafa family from the suburbs of southern Beirut divides three mattresses amongst themselves. Mostafa Mostafa remarked, “I can not afford to leave this place.” Is not it unfortunate what has transpired? We had a roof over our heads and were a proud Lebanese family. We felt dignified in our home. Now observe our current situation.

Concerns about mission creep
Around 1,300 people have died as a result of Israel’s attack in Lebanon since it started on September 17, according to a CNN count of comments from Lebanon’s health ministry. According to Israel’s war council, the goal was to return 60,000 residents who had been displaced in the northernmost region of the nation by Hezbollah’s rocket fire. Hezbollah for its part stated it would only agree to a ceasefire on the Israel-Lebanon border when the Israeli offensive in Gaza finishes.

Israel claims that Hezbollah’s general infrastructure, command and control centers, and weapons stockpiles have all been hit by Israeli strikes. Nonetheless, the health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, believes that a large number of those murdered were civilians. According to a CNN expert on air warfare, the intensity of the attack in Lebanon has already surpassed that in Gaza, where a combined ground, air, and naval assault destroyed a significant portion of the beleaguered strip.

It is possible that this battle has reached yet another risky turning point. Israel has started its ground battle and gathered troops along the border. People have been forced to evacuate as a result of the Israeli military’s barrage of artillery and drone strikes, which are intended to create a buffer zone and open the door for an invasion of the southern region of the nation.

Later in the afternoon, the media center expanded the purported objectives of destroying the arsenal and command and control systems of the Iran-backed militia.

It has sparked concerns about mission creep and forced the nation—which is accustomed to conflict and crises—into unknown territory.

As of right now, we are immobilized. We cannot do anything,” said Mahdi, an alumnus of the American University of Beirut, a five minute drive from the location of the attack on the Islamic Health Authority.

Mahdi was working around his former campus after fleeing his suburban home in southern Beirut to west Beirut. He went on, “We have no idea what our futures hold.”

“They are getting scarier since it feels like things are getting worse every day and we do not really know what region is safe anymore,” medical student Hadeel said of the nearly 200-year-old university founded by American missionaries.

“Is it going to continue? Will the West take a stand, or are we merely another Middle Eastern nation?

Elbahrain.net In a statement released on Wednesday, City said that the Spanish midfielder suffered “ligament injury to his right knee” during the first half of Sunday’s draw with Arsenal, adding that he traveled to Spain to see a specialist after preliminary tests in Manchester.

The club also said: “Assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the injury and expected prognosis.”

However, speaking Tuesday night after the team’s 2-1 League Cup win over Watford, manager Pep Guardiola explained that he was not expecting the midfielder to return soon.

The midfielder also played a key role in Spain winning a record fourth European Championship over the summer. His play for club and country have led to his being one of the main contenders for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, the annual soccer award celebrating the best players in the men’s and women’s game.

He is one of four City players nominated for the 2024 edition of soccer’s most coveted individual prize.

Last season, the Citizens lost just three Premier League matches, with all three defeats coming during a period when Rodri was suspended. Since the Spaniard’s Premier League debut, City has lost a third of the games from which he has been absent.

“When a team doesn’t play with the best midfielder in the world for a long, long time, it is a big blow,” said Guardiola. “I will find a solution. There is an alternative, we will do it. When you have one player who is irreplaceable, as a team we have to find a solution.”

The midfielder sustained the injury just five days after telling a press conference that players are close to going on strike to protest an increase in games. His comments came ahead of City’s first game in a revamped Champions League which sees teams play two extra games before the knockout stage.

First shutdown in 50 years due to a US ports strike

Ahead of the presidential election and the hectic holiday shopping season, tens of thousands of dockworkers have embarked on an indefinite walkout at ports throughout the majority of the United States, posing a serious threat to trade and the economy.

Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) walked out on Tuesday at 14 major ports along the east and gulf coasts, blocking container movement from Maine to Texas.

This is the first shutdown of its kind in nearly First shutdown in 50.

Although the White House has stated that President Joe Biden does not intend to act, he is able to suspend the strike for an additional 80 days in order to conduct further negotiations.

What is the purpose of the strike?

The parties’ current contract expired on Monday, and negotiations had been at a standstill for some months.

According to the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris and President Biden were keeping a careful eye on the First shutdown in 50.

“The President has instructed his staff to personally inform both parties of the need for them to promptly and fairly come to the bargaining table.”

The dispute between the two parties is over a master contract that spans six years and employs over 25,000 port workers for roll-on/roll-off and container operations. US Maritime Alliance, or USMX, is a trade association that comprises maritime terminal operators, port associations, and shipping companies.

USMX announced on Monday that it has raised its offer, which would improve health care alternatives, boost employers’ payments to pension schemes, and increase earnings by about 50%.

While expressing concerns about the challenges posed by automation, union leader Harold Daggett has asked for major salary increases for his members.

In a complaint to labor regulators, USMX claimed that the union was not willing to engage in negotiations and requested that they force the union to return to the bargaining table.

Starting pay under the prior agreement varied based on experience, from $20 to $39 per hour. Other advantages, such bonuses related to the container trade, are also provided to workers.

Mr Daggett has suggested the union wants to see per-hour compensation increase by five dollars per year throughout the course of the six-year pact, which he said amounted to around 10% each year.

In light of the fact that wages were negatively impacted by inflation during the Covid epidemic, the ILA claimed that workers are entitled to compensation. Though the precise number is unknown, it has issued a warning to expect a wider strike by its members, including those not directly involved in this dispute.

According to the union, it represents over 85,000 individuals; in its Labor Department annual report, it stated that it had over 47,000 active members.

Which goods are going to be impacted by the strike?

Food and other imports that must be received quickly are probably going to be among the first to suffer.

The Farm Bureau estimates that the ports in question handle over half of all imports and around 14% of seaborne agricultural exports, which includes a sizeable portion of commerce in bananas and chocolate.

According to Oxford Economics, other industries at risk of upheaval include tin, tobacco, and nicotine. Businesses that sell apparel and shoes as well as European automakers who export a lot of their goods via the Port of Baltimore would suffer.

Over the summer, US imports increased dramatically as several companies rushed shipments in anticipation of the strike.

Professor Seth Harris of Northeastern University and former White House labor adviser said, “I do not think we will see immediate, significant economic impacts…but over the course of weeks, if the strike lasts that long, we can begin to see prices rise and for there to be some shortages in goods.”

What effect will it have on the economy?

According to Grace Zemmer, an associate US economist at Oxford Economics, the strike may impact more than a third of exports and imports, hurting US economic growth by at least $4.5 billion every week of the strike. Other estimates suggest the economic damage might be even greater.

More than 100,000 workers, she claimed, might experience a brief loss of employment as the effects of the suspension spread.

According to Peter Sand, chief analyst at maritime freight analytics company Xeneta, “this is really a trigger event, one that will see dominoes fall over the next months.” Sand also warned that the standoff may increase shipping costs more broadly.

He said that would hurt customers and companies that often depend on so-called “just-in-time” supply networks for goods.

What impact might this have on the US election?

The ILA is on strike for the first time since 1977 during this standoff, which throws uncertainty into an already fragile US economy.

With the US election coming up in six weeks, the economy has slowed and the unemployment rate is rising.

The walkout could place President Biden in a precarious situation.

US presidents have the authority to impose an 80-day cooling-off period, which forces employees back to work while talks are ongoing, in labor disputes that pose a threat to national security or safety.

A different union represents the dockworkers on the west coast, and they went on strike for 11 days before Republican President George W. Bush intervened to open ports in 2002.

President Biden has been urged to act by the US Chamber of Commerce, a business organization.

“In2021, during the pandemic-era supply chain backlogs, Americans suffered from delays and shortages of products. “To let a contract disagreement cause such a shock to our economy would be immoral,” stated Suzanne P. Clark, the business group’s president and chief executive.

Mr. Daggett of the ILA supported Democratic candidate Joe Biden in 2020, but he has since criticized the president, pointing to the pressure put on west coast dockworkers to come to an agreement a year ago. Trump and he had a meeting last year.

According to William Brucher, a professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers University, losing allies in the labor movement just weeks before the election would come at a bigger cost, even though any strike turmoil is likely to affect Democrats.

However, the conflict, which has been supported by Mr. Daggett, who was cleared by federal prosecutors in 2004 of any involvement with organized crime, may put the public’s support for strikes to the test. Unresolved is a similar civil matter.

Films such as the 1954 classic crime thriller On the Waterfront, starring Marlon Brando, historically defined the union’s image, but Prof Brucher said he thought that historical memory had mostly faded and many people shared the dockworkers’ concerns about cost-of living and automation.

He remarked, “A strike by ILA members is their decision and I do not think they will be affected by public opinion in any meaningful way, as much as it could sway public opinion against the ILA.”

“A strike-related pressure that would probably bring the employers back to the table with a lot more substantial offer is more likely to occur.”

Elbahrain.net As family gathered in the city on Wednesday to assist in identifying their loved ones, Thai police detained the driver of a bus carrying young kids and teachers that caught fire and killed 23 in a suburban area of Bangkok.

On Tuesday, the bus, which was headed to Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi provinces for a school excursion, left Uthai Thani province, which is located approximately 300 kilometers (186 miles) north of Bangkok, with 39 elementary and junior high school pupils and six teachers on board.

The bus was on a highway to the north of the capital when the fire broke out, and it spread so fast that many people were unable to flee.

The chief of the police forensic division, Trairong Phiwpan, reported that 23 dead had been found inside the bus. The burning vehicle was powered by natural gas, and it remained too hot to enter for hours, delaying the rescue efforts and confirmation of the overall number of deaths.

In order to offer their DNA samples for the identification process, the families were transported in vans from Uthai Thani to the forensic division of the Police General Hospital in Bangkok on Wednesday. The head of the Royal Thai Police’s assistant, Kornchai Klaiklung, informed reporters that the forensics team was making every effort to identify the victims.

The driver, who the police have named as Saman Chanput, turned himself in on Tuesday night, a few hours after the incident. According to the police, he has been charged with careless driving resulting in fatalities and injuries, neglecting to stop and assist others, and neglecting to report the collision.

According to Chayanont Meesati, deputy regional police chief, the driver told investigators he was operating the bus normally up until it lost balance at its front right tire, collided with another vehicle, and scratched a concrete highway barrier, creating sparks that set off the fire.

According to Chayanont, the driver fled after frantically trying to get hold of a fire extinguisher from another bus that was on the same trip, but he was unable to put out the fire and fled in fear.

According to the police, they are also looking into whether the bus business complied with all safety regulations.

The owner of the bus company, Songwit Chinnaboot, stated that the gas cylinders had met safety regulations and that the bus underwent mandatory safety inspections twice a year in an interview with Thai PBS, the public broadcaster. He also promised to do all in his power to make amends for the victims’ families.

According to the hospital, two of the three pupils that are admitted are seriously ill. A 7-year-old child sustained facial burns, and according to a surgeon, medical professionals were making every effort to preserve her vision.

In a post on the social media site X, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her sympathies and said the government will pay for the victims’ medical bills and assist their families. Later, she went to see the hospitalized injured.