World Briefing: October 25, 2024

Russia provided targeting data for Yemen’s Houthi rebels as they attacked western vessels in the Red Sea with drones and missiles earlier this year, helping the Iranian-backed group assault a major artery for global trade and further destabilizing the region. The Houthis, which began their attacks late last year over the Gaza war, eventually began using Russian satellite data as they expanded their strikes said a person familiar with the matter and two European defense officials. The data was passed through members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps who were embedded with the Houthis in Yemen, one of the people said. The assistance, which hasn’t been previously reported, shows how far President Vladimir Putin of Russia is willing to go to undermine the US-led Western economic and political order. Russia, in this case, supported the Iran-backed Houties, which the West designates as a terrorist group, as they carried out a series of attacks in one of the world’s most heavily-traveled shipping routes - WSJ

Another former Trump administration official is warning that the former president has “authoritarian tendencies,” asserting he “does not follow the rule of law.” Elizabeth Neumann, the former deputy chief of staff of the Department of Homeland Security, told Politico in an interview that she agrees with former president Donald Trump’s one-time chief of staff, retired U.S. Marine Corps general John Kelly, who said earlier this week that Trump meets the “definition of a fascist.” “Does he have authoritarian tendencies? Yes,” Neumann, now a supporter of Vice President Kamala Harris, told the outlet. “Is he kind of leaning towards that ultra-nationalism component? Absolutely. That is kind of his brand, right? He’s made nationalism the new definition of the Republican Party.” Harris has seized on Kelly’s recent bombshell disclosures, which also included the fact that Trump allegedly opined about the loyalty of Adolf Hitler’s generals, calling the former president “increasingly unhinged and unstable.” Trump lashed out at Kelly on his money-hemorrhaging Truth Social platform, calling him a “bad general.” Politico via Daily Beast

Three journalists have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a building known to be housing reporters in south-eastern Lebanon, witnesses have told the BBC. The attack was carried out on a guesthouse in a compound in Hasbaya being used by more than a dozen journalists from at least seven media organisations - with a courtyard containing cars clearly marked with "press". The three men worked for broadcasters Al-Manar TV and Al Mayadeen TV, which issued statements paying tribute to their killed employees. Lebanon's information minister said the attack was deliberate and described it as a "war crime". The Israeli military has not yet commented, but has previously denied targeting journalists. - BBC

The editorials editor of the Los Angeles Times has resigned after the newspaper’s owner blocked the editorial board’s plans to endorse Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris for president, a journalism trade publication reported Wednesday. Mariel Garza told the Columbia Journalism Review in an interview that she resigned because the Times was remaining silent on the contest in “dangerous times….I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not OK with us being silent,” Garza said. “In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I’m standing up.” In a post on the social media platform X that did not directly mention the resignation, LA Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong said the board was asked to do a factual analysis of the policies of Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump during their time at the White House. - NPR

Three days before Georgians vote in an election billed as a decisive moment in their country's future, the founder of the governing Georgian Dream party has told thousands of supporters "we choose peace, not war". After 12 years in government, Bidzina Ivanishvili's Georgian Dream faces a close race against four opposition groups to cling on to power in this Caucasus state. His party accuses the opposition of aiming to drag Georgia into involvement in the war in Ukraine, but the opposition argues the election is a choice between Russia under Georgian Dream, or Europe. Ivanishvili, seen as Georgia's most powerful figure, told the crowd in Liberty Square that they should have "a dignified European future based on equality". - BBC

The Israeli army has accused six Al Jazeera journalists covering the war in Gaza of being current or former paid fighters for Palestinian militant groups. Al Jazeera, a television news channel based in Qatar, has denied the accusations, calling them "fabricated" and part of a "wider pattern of hostility". Israel said it found documents in Gaza, along with other intelligence, that show the journalists — who are all Palestinian men — have been affiliated with Hamas or the paramilitary organisation, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Al Jazeera journalists Anas al-Sharif, Hossam Shabat, Ismael Abu Omar, and Talal Arrouki were accused by Israel of ties to Hamas. Ashraf Saraj and Alaa Salameh were accused of ties to Islamic Jihad. The men have held various roles, according to documents Israel cited — sniper, infantry soldier, fighter, captain, training coordinator and “propaganda.” The documents and intelligence Israel released Wednesday purportedly show the rank, role, enlistment date, and battalion of each of the six Al Jazeera journalists. Al Jazeera and other groups say the claims amount to silencing journalists who are covering the war in Gaza - Euronews

Pro-Russia parties are gaining ground in Bulgaria ahead of a parliamentary vote on Sunday, as Moscow capitalises on continued political instability in the EU and Nato’s south-eastern member. Heading into the seventh parliamentary election in just four years, politicians who adopt pro-Kremlin messaging have become increasingly popular with voters disillusioned with mainstream politics. “Parties with some level of Russian influence may attract about a quarter of the vote or more, depending on mobilisation and turnout,” said Daniel Smilov, a political scientist at the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia. “People who see themselves as left behind seem more motivated to vote, which might create unpleasant surprises for pro-European forces.” Most analysts project yet another inconclusive election, followed by an eighth vote in spring. Several insiders told the Financial Times that major parties and government officials are already planning for that snap poll next year. The uncertainty benefits Moscow as it showcases Bulgaria’s dysfunction as systemic EU and Nato weaknesses - FT