The Cradle ✔

❗️Prominent Lebanese investigative journalist targeted with Israeli-linked spyware According to a public statement released by Lebanese investigative journalist Radwan Mortada on social media, Apple issued an urgent security notification warning him that his personal device was targeted in a "sophisticated mercenary spyware attack" utilizing technology linked to the Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group. The notification from Apple explicitly confirmed that such high-level cyber intrusions specifically target individuals "because of who you are or what you do," marking the third time Mortada has been targeted with Israeli Pegasus spyware following previous intrusions in 2017 and 2021. The cyber attack follows state retaliation against Mortada's investigative reporting, coming just weeks after the Israeli military looted, planted explosives in, and blew up his family's multi-generational home in Aita al-Jabal in southern Lebanon. The demolition of Mortada's home came shortly after he directed and co-produced The Trap, a two-part investigative documentary broadcast on Al Jazeera 360 that exposed Mossad's covert operations behind the September 2024 pager explosions across Lebanon. Mortada declared that "the targeting of journalists with sophisticated spyware poses a grave threat to press freedom, the confidentiality of journalistic sources, and the very foundations of independent investigative journalism." Despite uncertainty over whether the latest cyber operation was triggered directly by his documentary work, press freedom groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have strongly condemned the ongoing campaign of physical and digital intimidation aimed at silencing investigative reporters documenting Israeli war crimes in Lebanon.

Washington urges NATO allies to 'tone down' anti-Russia rhetoric: Report President Trump and his envoys are negotiating with Russia over the war in Ukraine as well as business deals

❗️Bahrain protesters clash with security forces during anti-government demonstrations According to local reports, anti-government demonstrators clashed with Bahraini security forces overnight for the second consecutive night. The street confrontations erupted across several Shia-majority villages and urban suburbs surrounding Manama, where state police deployed tear gas and sound grenades to disperse youth activists who erected burning tire barricades to block advancing security convoys. The latest wave of civil unrest stems from an intensifying security campaign of arbitrary detentions and summonses targeting Shia religious figures, community activists, and reciters. According to ABNA, local organizers have been forced to coordinate demonstrations through covert channels and secretive grassroots networks to evade surveillance by the Ministry of Interior's security apparatus, which routinely uses broad security and counter-terrorism measures to repress public assemblies. The escalating protests highlight deep-seated grievances against the western-backed Bahraini government, which continues to rely on militarized policing, systemic political disenfranchisement, and severe restrictions on Shia religious identity to manage domestic dissent.

❗️In midst of ongoing Israeli attacks, Lebanese judiciary charges Hezbollah members over seized defensive military cargo The Lebanese military judiciary indicted eight individuals linked to Hezbollah following the seizure of a military shipment carrying explosives at the Dahr al-Baydar checkpoint in early October. Naharnet reports that state prosecutors referred the defendants to a military investigative judge on charges of possessing unauthorized weapons, forming unlawful groups, and undermining state security, escalating legal pressure on the Lebanese resistance as it counters ongoing aggression by the Israeli occupation. The legal proceedings stem from a 5 October interception by internal security forces in the Bekaa Valley, where a transport vehicle containing tactical explosive materials was impounded while en route toward Beirut. Hezbollah senior official and lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah confirmed in a public address that the confiscated logistical equipment and military assets belong to the Lebanese resistance, emphasizing that the material was strictly designated for front-line operations against Israeli military positions occupying southern Lebanese territory. Rejecting the judicial charges and political framing of the seizure, Hezbollah demanded the immediate release of the detained drivers and the prompt return of the defense equipment. Resistance leadership affirmed that attempts to intercept military supplies weaken national defense capabilities at a critical juncture, reiterating that protecting logistical infrastructure remains essential to defending Lebanese sovereignty against persistent strikes and violations by the Israeli military.

❗️Activists reject DOJ subpoenas in federal fishing expedition targeting philanthropist Fergie Chambers Two pro-Palestine activists subpoenaed by the US Department of Justice announced their absolute refusal to cooperate with an federal grand jury investigation targeting political donors and anti-war organizers. The Grayzone reveals that activists Bridget Shergalis and Sophie Ross—who previously served a 60-day sentence for direct action against an Elbit Systems military manufacturing facility in New Hampshire—declared in a public statement that they will invoke their constitutional right to remain silent when appearing in court on 4 November, risking potential imprisonment for civil contempt rather than giving testimony. The federal grand jury proceedings appear centered on anti-imperialist philanthropist Fergie Chambers, who has provided financial support to humanitarian initiatives in Gaza. Chambers has been held in Spain for over three months under an extradition request from Washington alleging money laundering linked to Palestinian resistance movements. Shergalis and Ross condemned the federal investigation as a legal "fishing expedition" designed to intimidate anti-genocide organizers, pledging total solidarity with targeted activists and framing their non-compliance as a duty to defend the global anti-imperialist movement. The subpoenas follow an aggressive crackdown by the Trump administration under National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7), an executive policy drafted by White House aide Stephen Miller directing federal law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute left-wing and anti-war organizations.

VIDEO | Footage shows the moment Israeli occupation forces detonated the homes of two Palestinians who carried out last week's shooting operation that killed two occupation soldiers in Hebron (Al-Khalil). The punitive demolitions come as part of Israel's ongoing policy of collective punishment targeting the families of Palestinians involved in resistance operations in the occupied West Bank.

❗️Scottish police investigate Epstein’s visits to royal estate with former prince Andrew Police in Scotland have launched an investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's visits to Balmoral, a private royal estate in Scotland, where he spent time with former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. “We have received information and active enquiries are ongoing but these are at a very early stage,” a Police Scotland spokesperson told CNN on Friday, without providing further details. “All enquiries are evidence-led, with the needs of victim survivors at the heart of those enquiries,” the spokesperson said. “We would never confirm details of ongoing enquiries and it would be inappropriate to comment further.” British newspaper The Daily Express reported that the investigation concerns allegations that women were “trafficked” to Balmoral.

VIDEO | The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy reports that a supertanker sustained critical damage and caught fire after striking a sea mine while navigating an unauthorized zone within the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The blast marks the third major tanker explosion reported in the crucial maritime chokepoint today, signaling a sharp escalation in regional naval insecurity and mounting threats to commercial shipping routes.

❗️The Omani Maritime Security Center announced that naval forces have rescued 25 crew members from a Panamanian-flagged vessel after it caught fire following an attack approximately 106 nautical miles off the coast of the strategic Musandam governorate. According to a statement by the Sultanate's military, the evacuated crew members were safely transferred and provided with necessary medical assistance following the incident in the waters near the Strait of Hormuz. Authorities have not yet disclosed the origin or nature of the strike.

❗️Washington signals post-election escalation as Trump demands nuclear guarantees from Tehran US President Donald Trump declared on Thursday that the war with Iran is "going to get wrapped up soon," reiterating Washington's demand for total nuclear capitulation while offering no concrete blueprint for ending hostilities, according to The Jerusalem Post. Speaking in an interview with Kansas City radio station KCMO, Trump emphasized that US military operations will continue until Washington secures absolute guarantees preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear capabilities. The president's public posturing comes amidst sharp diplomatic contradictions within the US administration ahead of next week's midterm elections. While US media reports reveal that Trump is actively evaluating plans for a destructive new wave of strikes targeting Iranian critical infrastructure immediately following the vote, his administration has simultaneously dispatched conflicting diplomatic overtures to Tehran through regional intermediaries.

❗️US CENTCOM commander claims Strait of Hormuz clear of mines despite IRGC naval strikes The head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, claimed that primary internationally recognized shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz are completely free of Iranian sea mines and that commercial maritime traffic is transiting without hindrance. In a video message published by CENTCOM following an inspection flight over the strategic waterway, Cooper claimed that US forces had eliminated Iranian naval capabilities in the area, asserting that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy is "all at the bottom of the sea" while committing ongoing US naval assets to maintain clearance across primary transit corridors. These claims directly contradict operational realities on the ground, coming just hours after the IRGC Navy published video footage documenting two commercial oil tankers set ablaze and disabled in the eastern and western sectors of the strait. Iranian naval commanders confirmed that the violating vessels were intercepted in the southern waters of the choke point after disabling their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) to navigate unauthorized routes under direct US military escort. IRGC units successfully breached the US security perimeter using fast-attack craft to deploy tactical limpet mines directly onto the hulls of both tankers, forcing them to ground.

BREAKING | Israeli artillery shelling targets Wadi al-Hujair, in southern Lebanon.

❗️UK revokes travel authorization for Swedish academic ahead of London pro-Palestine panel The British Home Office revoked the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) of prominent Swedish academic and author Andreas Malm, barring him from entering the UK just days before a scheduled public appearance in London, Al Jazeera reports. Official communication delivered to Malm by British immigration authorities declared that his "presence in the UK is not considered to be conducive to the public good," effectively blocking the Lund University associate professor who has regularly traveled to the country for decades. The state-enforced travel ban targeted Malm ahead of a panel event organized by socialist magazine Tribune, where he was scheduled to speak alongside Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action. British authorities recently proscribed Palestine Action as a "terrorist" organization under state security laws, using sweeping counter-terrorism powers to outlaw direct-action campaigns aimed at severing British arms links with the Israeli occupation forces. Malm publicly condemned the Home Office decision as a transparent attempt to criminalize solidarity with Palestine, linking the sudden revocation to his participation in panel discussions critical of western military support for Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza.

❗️Saudi airstrikes batter Yemeni infrastructure and civilian zones in wide-scale escalation Heavy Saudi airstrikes hit civilian facilities and infrastructure across multiple Yemeni governorates, according to Saba News, including the capital Sanaa, as Riyadh intensifies its aerial campaign. Yemeni health authorities confirmed that at least 45 civilians were killed in the latest wave of bombardments, which hit residential areas and vital communication networks in the Taiz and Al-Jawf governorates. Intense raids were also reported across the coastal district of Mokha, Hayfan, and the strategic border governorates of Saada, Marib, and Hajjah. Yemen's Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree stated that Saudi warplanes launched 116 airstrikes and missile attacks over a 24-hour period ending Thursday evening. Saree detailed that the strikes systematically targeted vital civilian facilities, communication towers, and residential neighborhoods across Sanaa, Amran, Lahj, and Al-Bayda. He emphasized that the total count of Saudi raids has surpassed 3,500 since the recent Saudi-led aggression, resulting in widespread destruction and hundreds of civilian casualties.

❗️Israeli national security minister demands the Shin Bet arrest Arab lawmakers, calls for stripping voting rights In a post on social media, Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly demanded on Thursday that the Shin Bet security agency immediately arrest leaders of Palestinian political parties in Israel, claiming without evidence that the election results were "stolen." Following parliamentary election tallies that saw record turnout among Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, the cabinet minister asserted that "the Shin Bet must arrest all those involved, including the heads of the Arab parties," while calling to strip non-loyal citizens of their fundamental democratic rights. "The Shin Bet must arrest all those involved, including the heads of the Arab parties who stole the elections here. Today must be clearer than ever: Whoever is not loyal to the State of Israel - it is forbidden to give him the right to vote," he wrote. The inciteful statements come as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition partners face political deadlock following parliamentary elections, with Palestinian political factions potentially holding crucial seats in the prospective assembly.

CENTCOM chief briefs Trump on options for renewed war on Iran: Report Washington has warned its Gulf allies to brace for a ‘short, intense’ assault after the midterms

VIDEO | Israeli occupation forces raid the West Bank village of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, and forced Palestinian olive harvesters off their land after local residents confronted Jewish settlers.

VIDEO | Israeli occupation forces attack areas between the southern Lebanese towns of Mayfadoun and Zawtar al-Sharqiya with artillery shelling.

❗️Trump says Vance's outreach to Iran concerned medical supplies, not peace talks US President Donald Trump said Vice President JD Vance's recent communication with Iran concerned providing medical supplies to the country, following media reports that Vance had sent a letter to Tehran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, in an attempt to revive peace negotiations. According to the Wall Street Journal, Vance sent the letter at Trump's direction. However, when reporters asked Trump on Wednesday whether he had instructed the vice president to contact Tehran to resume peace negotiations, he replied: "No." "What that is is they need help with medical supplies and various things. He (Vance) asked me what I thought. I said, if you want to do that, that's okay. Basically, it's getting supplies in to help people that are not well," Trump told reporters.

❗️International dockworkers launch historic global strike across 100 ports to blockade arms shipments Dockworkers spanning more than 100 strategic ports across Europe, West Asia, and North Africa initiated a mass international strike and day of mobilization to halt arms transfers. Organized by a coalition of over 25 maritime labor unions in 22 countries—including primary labor syndicates in France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Turkiye, and Morocco—the coordinated action targets key maritime infrastructure to block the movement of weapons, ammunition, and military cargo. The strike action has halted or severely disrupted logistics operations across major European and Mediterranean transit hubs, including Marseille, Le Havre, Genoa, Trieste, and Piraeus. In a joint declaration released by participating unions, including France’s CGT ports federation, Italy’s Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), and Greece’s ENEDEP, labor leaders condemned the conversion of commercial ports into hubs for imperialist war machine logistics. ENEDEP President Markos Bekris declared during demonstrations at the Port of Piraeus: "Ports must not be used for the transport of weapons, ammunition, military equipment and troops. Dockworkers do not work for war!" Endorsed by 17 Palestinian trade unions and the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, the historic mobilization marks an unprecedented labor blockade aimed at choking off military supply lines. With over 90 percent of Israeli international trade and military procurement moving by sea, union organizers emphasized that organized labor is taking direct action to enforce international law and humanitarian embargoes where western governments have actively refused to halt the arming of Israel.