By Helen Regan and Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN (CNN) — Israel has launched a ground operation across its northern border into Lebanon targeting the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, opening a new and dangerous phase in almost a year of war. The incursion, which Israel’s National Security Cabinet has called the “next phase” of its war with Hezbollah, marks the fourth time that Israeli soldiers have publicly entered Lebanese soil in nearly 50 years, and the first since Israel’s 34-day war in the country in 2006. Israeli troops laid the groundwork for what it called a “limited ground operation” in recent days, ramping up airstrikes that have killed hundreds of people, destroyed homes and displaced about 1 million people in Lebanon. The latest escalation comes after Israel killed Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on Friday and decimated the leadership of the most powerful paramilitary force in the Middle East. Here’s what we know. Extent of incursion unclear Israeli officials have characterized the incursion into southern Lebanon as limited in scope, saying there will be “no long-term occupation.” Officials have, however, declined to say how deep Israeli troops would venture into the country or how long the operation is expected to last. On Tuesday, the Israeli military called on residents in more than two dozen villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate approximately 30 miles into the country. An Israeli security official told reporters on condition of anonymity Tuesday morning that the operation does not amount to an invasion or incursion, describing it instead as “localized raids” that are “very limited in scope and in the area of operation.” The official said there were so far “no clashes” on the ground between the IDF and Hezbollah, but refused to comment on whether Israeli tanks have entered Lebanon and would not elaborate on how deep into Lebanese territory Israeli troops have advanced, saying they were focused on the border areas. “The amount of forces and the type of forces are more appropriate to something of a limited raid, and not, for example, things we’ve seen in Gaza with very, very large forces,” the official added. Hezbollah rejected the claim that Israeli forces had entered southern Lebanon, describing them as “lies,” according to a statement by spokesman Mohamed Afif on Tuesday. A source from the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said the Israeli military has staged some “sporadic raids” across the Lebanon-Israel border but its troops have not remained on Lebanese soil. The assessment that Israel has not yet launched a full-scale invasion was supported by two other high-level Lebanese security sources. The Israeli military earlier said it was focused on removing “immediate threats” from Lebanese villages along the border, including Hezbollah’s ability to infiltrate northern Israel. Israeli soldiers, including paratroopers and commandos, as well as armored corps troops have been “preparing for limited, localized, targeted operations in southern Lebanon,” the Israeli military said, adding that soldiers have been training for weeks and had gained skills and operational experience in Gaza over many months. While the extent of Israel’s military plans inside Lebanon remain unclear, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has become increasingly defiant of international calls for restraint and de-escalation, as well as widespread outrage over growing civilian casualties in Lebanon and Gaza. Previous military operations initially declared by Israel to be limited in their goals have proved to be anything but. Examples include Israel’s years-long occupation of southern Lebanon that began in 1982 with the stated aim of a brief and limited mission to destroy the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in the country. More recently, Israel’s military declared a “limited” operation in Rafah, southern Gaza that has left the city in ruins. What happened ahead of the incursion? Shortly before the incursion, Israel’s National Security Cabinet approved the “next phase” of its war with Hezbollah, according to Israeli media. In preparation, the Israeli military launched small raids and artillery fire across the Lebanon border, and sealed off several communities in northern Israel, limiting the movement of civilians there. The Lebanese army had also evacuated observation posts at the southern border and moved to barracks in the border villages, according to a Lebanese security source. The Army Command later denied reports it withdrew. CNN is unable to independently verify the Lebanese army’s movements. Meanwhile, Israel’s air force once again bombed the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut, predominantly Shia neighborhoods where Hezbollah has a stronghold. It follows Israeli airstrikes that hit inside Beirut’s city limits early Monday for the first time since the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel. The Lebanese health ministry said on Monday that at least 95 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in just 24 hours, and another 172 others injured. Isn’t Israel fighting Hamas in Gaza? Why are Israeli troops now in Lebanon? Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah have been engaged in a tit-for-tat escalation since the war in Gaza began following Hamas’ attack on Israel last October. Hezbollah first attacked Israel on October 8 and has said it will not stop striking Israel until a ceasefire is reached in the Palestinian enclave, much of which has been reduced to rubble by Israeli bombs and fighting. In recent weeks, Israel has refocused its military objectives north with a new war aim to return displaced residents to their homes along the Lebanon border. About 60,000 Israeli civilians have been forced from their homes by Hezbollah’s rocket attacks. What’s unfolded is some of the fiercest fighting between the two longtime foes since the 2006 Lebanon war, which killed 1,100 in the country. Nearly 50 Israeli civilians and 121 Israeli soldiers were also killed. Last month, pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members exploded across Lebanon in a coordinated Israeli attack that killed dozens of people and maimed thousands, including women and children. Israel has also stepped up a relentless bombing campaign across Lebanon targeting Hezbollah’s infrastructure and leadership, but the strikes have also decimated homes and neighborhoods in densely populated areas. Massive airstrikes in southern Beirut have killed a string of Hezbollah leaders, as well as more than 1,000 people. The Iran question The latest developments raise questions about how a weakened Hezbollah will respond, and the extent to which its backer Iran could get involved, once more ratcheting up fears of a wider regional war. Hezbollah is part of an Iran-led alliance spanning Yemen, Syria, Gaza and Iraq that has attacked Israel and its allies since the war with Hamas began. In a fiery speech on Sunday, Netanyahu said one of Israel’s goals is “changing the balance of power in the region” and that “there is no place in Iran or the Middle East that the long arm of Israel will not reach.” Killing Hezbollah leader Nasrallah and wiping out the group’s capabilities to launch a large-scale attack on Israel were “necessary” conditions to achieve that goal, he said. Israel has also ramped up attacks on multiple fronts against other Iran-backed militants, including launching strikes targeting the Houthis in Yemen. But despite the recent Israeli strikes on its proxies, Iran has appeared wary of moving into direct conflict with its longtime enemy, even as their decades-long shadow war has been pushed further into the open. Many observers fear any direct Iranian retaliation could draw the United States further into the conflict. In a weekly news conference on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani described Israel’s actions in Lebanon as “criminal,” and said that while the Islamic Republic is “not a warmonger… No measures and adventurism against Iran’s national security will go unanswered,” state-run IRNA reported. How has the US reacted? Attention has focused on how the once-mighty US is increasingly powerless to rein in its ally or to influence other major belligerents in a fast-worsening regional crisis. US officials told CNN they were informed by their Israeli counterparts that the incursion into Lebanon was expected to be limited in scope and duration. The White House on Monday said Israel has the right to defend itself, but warned of the risk of “mission creep” in a ground operation that could ultimately broaden in scope and turn into a longer-term incursion. President Joe Biden last week unveiled a 21-day ceasefire proposal, backed by other US allies, that was almost immediately rejected by Netanyahu – to the frustration of the White House. The US is a key provider of Israel’s weapons — it likely supplied the 2,000-pound bombs  used to kill Hezbollah’s leader — but Biden and his advisers have continued to call for a diplomatic resolution. How has the world responded? Several states and UN bodies have warned of the impact on civilians in Lebanon and the risk of further regional instability. The European Union renewed its call for an immediate ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel. In a statement on Monday, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell called for “the respect of international humanitarian law in all circumstances,” and said the “sovereignty of both Israel and Lebanon has to be guaranteed.” UNIFIL said in a statement that “any crossing into Lebanon is in violation of Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity,” urging “all actors to step back from such escalatory acts which will only lead to more violence and more bloodshed,” it added.” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot urged Israel on Monday “to refrain from any ground incursion” into Lebanon, and called on both sides to agree to a ceasefire. The United Arab Emirates expressed “deep concern” over the recent escalations, fearing its “impact on regional stability,” the state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported, adding that the Gulf state “reaffirmed its unwavering position towards the unity of Lebanon, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity.” The UAE also directed an urgent $100 million relief package to the people of Lebanon. Jordan expressed “its rejection of the Israeli aggression” against Lebanon. Saudi Arabia said it “stresses the need to preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” while Qatar expressed solidarity with Lebanon as well as “readiness to provide support to the people to confront the consequences of the Israeli aggression.” Turkey condemned Israel’s ground operation, calling it “a violation of sovereignty and an unlawful act of occupation,” according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. The United Nations’ agency for humanitarian emergencies (OCHA) warned of the devastating impact on civilians of the recent escalations in Lebanon. The UN agency urged the international community to “urgently promote de-escalation and ensure that all parties respect international humanitarian law, while prioritizing immediate humanitarian assistance to the affected people.” The UN’s World Food Programme has also launched an emergency project to scale up food assistance for up to 1 million people in need in Lebanon. The-CNN-Wire & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

By Chris Isidore and Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN New York (CNN) — Nearly 50,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) are on strike Tuesday against the nation’s East and Gulf Coast ports, choking off the flow of many of America’s imports and exports in what could become the country’s most disruptive work stoppage in decades. The strike, which began at midnight, will stop the flow of a wide variety of goods over the docks of almost all cargo ports from Maine to Texas. This includes bananas, European beer, wine and liquor, along with furniture, clothing, household goods and European autos, as well as parts needed to keep US factories operating and American workers in those plants on the job, among many other goods. It could also stop US exports now flowing through those ports, hurting sales for American companies. A wide gap remained between the union’s demands and the contract offer from the United States Maritime Alliance, which uses the acronym USMX. The maritime alliance represents the major shipping lines, all of which are foreign owned; as well as terminal operators and port authorities. “USMX brought on this strike when they decided to hold firm to foreign owned ocean carriers earning billion-dollar profits at United States ports, but not compensate the American ILA longshore workers who perform the labor that brings them their wealth,” said ILA President Harold Daggett, in a statement released an hour after the strike started. “We are prepared to fight as long as necessary, to stay out on strike for whatever period of time it takes, to get the wages and protections against automation our ILA members deserve.” The USMX did not respond to requests for comment on the start of the strike. Possible shortages Depending on the length of the strike, it could result in shortages of consumer and industrial goods, which could then lead to price hikes. It could also mark a setback to the economy, which has shown signs of recovery from pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions that resulted in a spike in inflation. The ports involved include the Port of New York and New Jersey, the nation’s third-largest port by volume of cargo handled. It also includes ports with other specialities. Port Wilmington in Delaware describes itself as the nation’s leading banana port, bringing in a large share of America’s favorite fruit. According to the American Farm Bureau, 1.2 million metric tons of bananas come in through the struck ports, representing about one-quarter of the nation’s bananas.Other perishable items, such as cherries, also move through the ports, as do a large percentage of imported wine, beer and hard liquor. Raw materials used by US food producers, such as cocoa and sugar, make up a large portion of the affected imports as well. And many non-perishable goods, such as furniture and appliances, are imported through the affected ports, too. Retailers have been rushing in recent months to get the imported products they expect to sell during the holiday season delivered to them before the October 1 strike deadline. Many of the goods cannot be rerouted because it doesn’t make economic – or logistical – sense to ship them by plane or to other ports of entry. The good news: Your holiday shopping might not be affected as much as you might fear. Typically 70% of goods that retailers stock up for the holidays is already shipped through the ports by this time of year. And because the strike had been telegraphed for months, that percentage is much greater this year. But most of those holiday goods can sit in warehouses, or even in shipping containers, for months at a time. That’s not the case with perishable goods that flow through the ports, such as fruits and vegetables, which could be harder to find or cost more at the grocery store as soon as next week. Other items, such as alcohol, furniture and certain cars, may have enough supply that consumers won’t really notice shortages for a month or so. The US Department of Agriculture said consumers shouldn’t expect significant changes to food availability or prices in the near term. The US Department of Transportation said in a statement Tuesday that it has been engaging with shippers, ocean carriers, ports, railroads, and other supply chain partners for months to prepare for a potential strike and attempt to mitigate bottlenecks in the supply chain. Two sides far apart This is the first strike at these ports since 1977. While the union says there are about 50,000 members covered by the contract, the USMX puts the number of port jobs closer to 25,000, with not enough jobs for all the workers in the union to work every day. The USMX has complained the union is not negotiating in good faith, saying the two sides haven’t met in person since June. The USMX said Monday it had increased its offer to wage increases of more than 50% over the proposed six-year contract, but a person familiar with negotiations said that offer had been rejected by union. The ILA is not publicly discussing its demands, but going into the weekend it was reportedly asking for annual pay hikes that would result in raises totaling 77% through the life of the contract, with top pay climbing from $39 an hour to $69. There are also disputes between the union and management about the use of automation in the ports, which the union said would cost some members their jobs. The USMX said it is offering to keep the same contract language on use of automation in place. The union says it has continued to talk with the USMX, just not in face-to-face negotiations. Ahead of the strike, it said management knows what it is demanding in order to get a deal done and that any strike would be management’s fault, not the union’s. It said its demands are reasonable given the level of profits in the shipping industry. Daggett, wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the words “The Docks are Ours,” addressed the strikers outside of the Port of New York and New Jersey, in a video posted to an ILA Facebook page. “I want to tell you all what you’re doing is right. This is going down in history, what we’re doing here,” he said. He recalled the union’s last strike when he and other union members were on strike for three months to earn an extra 80 cents an hour. “Now they’re making billions and billions of dollars, through the pandemic, when all of us were working. Who’s the greedy ones here?” he said. “We’re’ going to show them…because nothing’s going to move without us.” Shipping rates soared during and immediately after the pandemic, as supply chains snarled and demand surged. Industry profits topped $400 billion from 2020 to 2023, which is believed to be more than the industry had previously made in total since containerization started in 1957, according to analyst John McCown. Businesses becoming nervous Stuck on the sidelines and watching with great concern are businesses that depend on the movement of goods. More than 200 business groups sent a letter to the White House last week asking the Biden administration to step in to prevent a strike, saying the country relies on moving both imports and exports through these ports. “The last thing the supply chain, companies and employees… need is a strike or other disruptions because of an ongoing labor negotiation,” read the letter. The US Chamber of Commerce sent a follow-up letter Monday urging President Joe Biden to exercise powers under what is known as the Taft-Hartley Act, which became law in 1947, to keep the ports open and longshore workers on the job. President George W. Bush applied the act in 2002 to halt an 11-day lockout of union members at West Coast ports. But Biden told reporters Sunday he has no intention of using the powers he has under Taft-Hartley. “No,” Biden said. “Because it’s collective bargaining, and I don’t believe in Taft-Hartley.” The White House in a statement Tuesday said President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are closely monitoring the strike, but they believe collective bargaining – not a stroke of a pen – is the best way to resolve the strike. “The President has directed his team to convey his message directly to both sides that they need to be at the table and negotiating in good faith—fairly and quickly,” a White House spokesperson said in a statement. “Senior White House and Administration officials continue to work around the clock to get both sides to continue negotiating towards a resolution.” However, the White House also noted that the president is “assessing ways to address potential impacts” of the port strike, “if necessary.” Yet it’s not clear if simply ordering the union members back to work would actually get the cargo moving over the docks. There are numerous ways the workers can slow the flow of freight while strictly following rules in the current contract. In a video posted in early September, the ILA’s Daggett said if members were forced back to work, they would likely only move a small fraction of their normal cargo volumes. “Do you think when (members) go back to work, that those men are going to go to work on that pier?” he said on the video message. “It’s going to cost the companies money to pay their salaries, while it goes from 30 moves an hour to maybe eight.” The shipping lines realize the problem with having Biden order the union back to work, said Peter Tirschwell, vice president of global intelligence and analytics at S&P Global Market Intelligence and chairman of the TPM shipping conference. “A senior ocean carrier guy told me yesterday, ‘If they are forced back to work, they can make life miserable for everybody,’” he told CNN last week. The-CNN-Wire & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The Guyana government says it has spent an estimated GUY$47.8 billion (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) in the first six months of this year in its pursuit of energy security for the country. In a statement, the Irfaan Ali government said that the country is experiencing growth at an unprecedented level due to the burgeoning oil sector and that GUY $100 billion had been set aside in the country’s first trillion-dollar national budget to achieve energy targets. The government said the demand for energy has increased for both the domestic and manufacturing sectors and in a bid to address this increase in the short-term, a  28.9 megawatts (MW) of emergency power has since been installed at the Columbia substation. It said Guyana is also receiving a supply of 36 MW of power from a power ship which is connected to the country’s main interconnected system. “These interventions are expected to improve stability and reliability of electricity supply across the grid and address immediate generation shortfalls,” the government said, noting that work is continuing on the construction of the 300 MW Gas-to-Energy Project. “Already, GUY$40.8 billion has been spent to advance work. Additionally, works were completed on 114 of the 371 pole foundations for the installation of transmission lines. In September, a request for proposals (RFP) was extended to qualified firms to design, finance, and operate Phase Two of the project, under a 20- to 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).” The government said the installation of transformers is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2024 and regarding long-term energy investment, the 165 MW Amaila Falls Hydropower Project remains under active consideration. The authorities said that works have also advanced to improve solar power and mini hydropower generating capacity and that in the first half of the year, a 0.65 MW solar farm in Mahdia was substantially completed and is expected to be commissioned in the second half of the year. Additionally, work for three solar farms will advance later this year. The government said that it has returned to a strategy of reducing emissions associated with electricity generation by utilising the lesser-emitting natural gas and renewable energy and that “this is being done through a combination of (i) investment in transformational energy infrastructure across the generation and transmission systems; (ii) fiscal incentives and government policies to support the use of renewable energy at the level of households and businesses; (iii) investments to improve energy efficiency”. It said that by 2030, it hopes  70 per cent of Guyana’s energy mix will be supplied through lesser-emitting and renewable energy sources.