Thursday Briefing: A second day of explosions in Lebanon

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September 19, 2024

	By Gaya Gupta

Good morning. We’re covering a second day of explosions in Lebanon and the latest on the U.S. presidential campaign.

Plus, an Irish bishop’s secret ignites a fierce debate.

Hezbollah supporters mourned the deaths of four fighters. Diego Ibarra Sanchez for The New York Times

More devices exploded in Lebanon

Fourteen people were killed and hundreds were wounded when walkie-talkies owned by Hezbollah members exploded across Lebanon yesterday, the second attack involving booby-trapped devices in two days, according to Lebanese and Hezbollah officials.

Lebanon was already reeling from an operation on Tuesday that blew up thousands of pagers. Those blasts killed at least 12 people and wounded over 2,700 others. Residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs said the explosions yesterday did not appear to be as widespread as Tuesday’s blasts.

But the walkie-talkies were nearly three times heavier than the pagers and set off more large fires, suggesting that they might have contained more explosives, a Times analysis found.

Explosions went off at a funeral for Hezbollah fighters, and mourners were urged to remove the batteries from their devices. Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate, but its members appeared to be in shock, my colleague Ben Hubbard reported.

Israel has not confirmed or denied involvement in the attacks, but Lebanese, U.S. and other officials say that Israel was responsible for the pager blasts.

Analysis: By targeting so many devices at the same time, Israel demonstrated technical prowess and pierced Hezbollah’s reputation as a sophisticated enemy. But the long-term intent is unclear.

Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Harris courts Latino voters

Vice President Kamala Harris issued one of her sharper lines of criticism yesterday against Donald Trump’s immigration plans, including large-scale deportations.

“Imagine what that would look like and what that would be,” she said at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute event. “How’s that going to happen? Massive raids? Massive detention camps? What are we talking about?”

Harris framed herself as a candidate who would focus on lowering prescription drug prices and addressing housing shortages, an approach that reflects her broader strategy to build support among Latinos. Her campaign has recently devoted $3 million to new advertisements on Spanish-language radio.

More on the U.S. election Americans head to the polls in less than 50 days. In a blow to Harris, the Teamsters, one of the largest labor unions in the U.S., said it would not back a presidential candidate. More than 100 Republicans endorsed Harris, saying in a letter to the public that Trump was “unfit to serve again as president.” A Times investigation found that lapses in communication and instructions were part of why the Secret Service failed to protect Trump during the assassination attempt in July. Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we’ll find the answers.

Voting in Pulwama in southern Kashmir yesterday. Atul Loke for The New York Times

Kashmiris are voting in the first regional elections in a decade

The election that began yesterday will restore some of the self-rule India took away from Kashmir in 2019. But a chill has fallen over the region, and some Kashmiris say the ballot will not fully restore their voices.

Bringing Kashmir under New Delhi’s direct rule ushered in what local leaders called an occupation administered mostly by outsiders. Rights groups, journalists and civil society have been cowed. Many Kashmiri dissidents still languish in jails in Indian cities. The results of the multistage election will be announced on Oct. 8.

Karl Russell

Sports

Daniele De Rossi Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Galway Cathedral, where Eamonn Casey was interred in 2017. Paulo Nunes dos Santos for The New York Times

Seven years after one of the best-known Catholic bishops in Ireland, Eamonn Casey, was laid to rest in Galway Cathedral, disturbing new allegations that he had sexually abused his niece emerged. The latest covered-up offense has ignited demands that his remains be removed from the crypt.

Lives lived: Elias Khoury, a Lebanese writer whose tales of postwar life in the Middle East won him praise as one of the greatest modern Arabic novelists, has died. He was 76.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times.

Eli Imadali for The New York Times

Unlikely allies in conservation

During a drilling boom led by the George Bush administration, leases to develop oil and gas in a pristine corner of Colorado seemed like a done deal. But when an unlikely alliance of cowboys and environmentalists emerged, things changed.

The self-described ragtag organization, which included ranchers, cyclists and snowmobilers, united to secure federal protection for a quarter-million acre expanse of public land known as the Thompson Divide. Eventually, the group developed a legal strategy that helped bring about a 20-year-pause on new oil and gas development there. It could serve as a model for future conservation efforts.

Chris Simpson for The New York Times

Cook: Fried rice without oil is not only possible, but also delicious.

Watch: The dream world of “Sirocco and the Kingdom of Winds” explores the indelible bond between sisters.

Read: Hillary Clinton’s new book is an affectionate ode to the women in her life.

Travel: London has small specialized shops that sell unique wares in spots full of wonder.

Listen: Here are seven new songs you should hear now.

Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Gaya

P.S. Shashank Bengali will lead our new breaking news hub in London.

We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.

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