World Briefing: September 11, 2024

Joe Biden is poised to lift a ban on British Storm Shadow missiles being fired into Russia by Ukraine. The president is considering changing policy after it emerged Iran is now arming Russia with ballistic missiles, which could be used in Ukraine within weeks. Antony Blinken, Mr Biden’s secretary of state, is due in Ukraine today with David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, to discuss lifting restrictions with Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr Biden and Sir Keir Starmer would then discuss changing the policy in a White House summit on Friday, Mr Blinken said, adding that the president was “not ruling it out”. The delivery of new Iranian arms to Russia is thought to have prompted fresh discussions between the US and UK over the use of Storm Shadows. “Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine against Ukrainians,” Mr Blinken said on a visit to London on Tuesday. British government sources close to policy believe a change in position on long-range missiles is possible this week but not guaranteed, with discussions remaining live at a senior level - The Telegraph

Kamala Harris commanded the first debate against Donald J. Trump, flashing her prosecutorial skills to leverage every chance to get under the former president’s skin in a 90-minute clash of visions and style. They disagreed fiercely on abortion and the economy, immigration and the war in Ukraine. But throughout the night, Mr. Trump found himself in a defensive crouch, relitigating his record rather than picking apart hers. The contrast was apparent even on mute. She smiled. He glowered. He spoke more, but she dictated the terms of the evening. Ms. Harris dominated the proceedings from nearly the start. She laid bait. He took it. It began with her needling Mr. Trump that his bored supporters had been leaving his rallies. It continued with her comment that he had inherited riches from his father. And on it went as she invoked his Republican critics, including those who served in his administration. On the back foot, Mr. Trump repeatedly spun down rhetorical cul-de-sacs. At one point, Ms. Harris invited viewers to watch a Trump rally for a more unfiltered view of the former president. “You will not hear him talk about your needs,” she said. - NYT

The United States yesterday issued new sanctions on Iran in response to Tehran's military support to Russia, including the alleged recent delivery of ballistic missiles, for use in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. Treasury Department designated 10 individuals and six entities based in Iran and Russia for sanctions and identified four vessels as blocked property that the Treasury Department said are enabling Iran’s delivery of weapons components and weapons systems to Russia. The weapons that the United States said were transferred include drones and close-range ballistic missiles (CRBMs) - RFE/RL

Communities in conflict-affected areas in Myanmar (formerly Burma) face severe challenges accessing health care, sanitation, clean water, food, and shelter - according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The breakdown of healthcare services is leading to a rise in preventable diseases, while a lack of medical supplies is worsening the suffering of the wounded and chronically ill. The ongoing violence has forced thousands of families to flee their homes, often with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The Geneva-based organization said that the regular use of high impact, explosive weapons has been observed in many populated areas, leading to a worrying increase in civilian casualties. In addition, restrictions on the movement of people and goods limit access to essential services for many communities in a shrinking humanitarian space.

Two-and-a-half years into the war, with tens of thousands dead and Russia advancing in the east, some Ukrainians are asking a question that had until recently been taboo: is it time to try to negotiate? The Wall Street Journals says polls show that support for some kind of negotiations with Moscow has been creeping upward since Ukraine’s counteroffensive last year failed to retake significant territory—though a majority of Ukrainians say they still want to keep fighting to retake all Russian-occupied lands. The right-leaning, Murdoch-owner newspaper said “more Ukrainians want to negotiate an end to the war but soldiers don’t agree.” It said: “the debate highlights a tension in Ukrainian society between those who are in combat and those who aren’t.”

World leaders are arriving for the 79th annual United Nations General Assembly debate beginning Tuesday, for which an estimated 150 heads of state and government will descend on New York City’s East Side, with 193 nations sending ministers or representatives. The diplomatic Super Bowl convenes with two major events planned: the Summit of the Future that runs Sept. 22-23 and the addresses by leaders – known as the “high-level debate,” beginning with Brazil and the U.S., with outgoing President Joe Biden on Sept. 24. This time, the international body will not only host global leaders attending the high-profile event but it will be one of the sources of their discontent. “Almost everyone is unhappy with the U.N., but for different reasons,” says Richard Gowan, U.N. director for the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank. - US News & World Report

The majority of the Cuban population does not have water in “a stable and permanent manner,” says the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights. The problem was been exacerbated by a lack of adequate pipeline maintenance and the shortage of fuel (the water management sector is the second largest consumer of electricity in the country. Cuban authorities have acknowledged that more than 600,000 people suffer from a lack of water. José Antonio Hernández, president of the Business Group for Water and Sanitation, told the official press that in Havana alone some 130,000 clients are affected by the water shortage, and that there are several provinces in the interior of the country with thousands of clients without service. Another problem is said to be leaks that remained unrepaired “for days and months.” - El Pais

Maria Rosaria Boccia, the woman at the heart of a scandal that led to the resignation of Italy’s Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano, was banned from entering the Italian parliament on Tuesday. The influencer said she wore a pair of Ray-Ban Stories glasses, a pair of Meta-powered spectacles equipped with a tiny camera and microphone, to film inside the parliamentary chamber — footage she then posted to her Instagram account. According to a statement from the Chamber of Deputies, the Montecitorio Security Committee took the decision to ban Boccia due to her unauthorized filming in “particularly sensitive sites, including the Gallery of Presidents and the Transatlantic hall.” Sangiuliano resigned from his post on Friday after admitting to an affair with Boccia and attempting to hire her as a ministry consultant. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni initially rejected his resignation. Boccia announced on Instagram she had the new role as an adviser for major events to the culture ministry — a claim the ministry itself denied. She also published pictures of herself on business trips with Sangiuliano, who is married. Sangiuliano has denied giving Boccia access to confidential documents or public funds. However, Italian prosecutors on Tuesday opened an investigation into his possible misuse of public funds and the disclosure of sensitive information. - Politico

In California's Napa Valley, cabernet sauvignon is king. The bold red wine has made the region world famous, with some bottles retailing at hundreds of dollars. But increasingly severe heat waves are taking a toll on the grape variety, especially in late summer during ripening. As temperatures keep rising, the wine industry is slowly confronting a future where Napa may not be the prime cabernet region it once was. - NPR

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