Reuters Daily Briefing by Edson Caldas - irst, Hezbollah's tunnels and flexible command weather Israel's deadly blows, Russia has established a drone factory in China. We also bring you a new poll on the US presidential race, and the latest on Volkswagen's labor clashes

 

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Daily Briefing

By Edson Caldas

Today, we report exclusively that Russia has established a drone factory in China. We also bring you a new poll on the US presidential race, and the latest on Volkswagen's labor clashes.  But first, Hezbollah's tunnels and flexible command weather Israel's deadly blows.

Today's Top News   Smoke billows from damaged buildings over southern Lebanon on Sept 25. REUTERS/Aziz Taher Middle East Hezbollah said its fighters had fired a rocket targeting the Mossad spy agency headquarters near Tel Aviv, and Israel unleashed more airstrikes on southern Lebanon in the heaviest bout of warfare between the arch-foes in a year. The Lebanese militant group's flexible chain of command, together with its extensive tunnel network and a vast arsenal of missiles and weapons it has bolstered over the past year, is helping it weather the unprecedented Israeli strikes, three sources said. Ukraine Russia has established a weapons program in China to develop and produce long-range attack drones for use in the war against Ukraine, according to two sources from a European intelligence agency and documents reviewed by Reuters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the United Nations Security Council that the war cannot be calmed by talks alone, but that Moscow must be forced into peace. Russia said that Zelenskiy's plan was a "fatal mistake". Elsewhere Border police in China's northeast have been given quotas to identify and expel undocumented migrants, one key aspect of broader surveillance that is making it harder for North Korean defectors to evade capture, according to previously undisclosed official documents and people familiar with the matter. Climate change has made downpours like the one that caused devastating floods in central Europe this month twice as likely to occur, a report said, as its scientific authors urged policymakers to act to stop global warming. Kamala Harris leads Donald Trump 47% to 40% in the race to win the US presidential election, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found. On today's Reuters World News podcast, Politics Editor Scott Malone weighs in on the value of national polls when voters in swing states will decide the outcome of the vote.

Business & Markets   Union leaders warned Volkswagen against making an "historic mistake" as the two sides started pay talks that are likely to determine how aggressively Europe's biggest automaker pursues layoffs and potential factory closures in Germany. The company's labor clash spotlights Europe's car factory conundrum. Italy's UniCredit will only pursue a deal with Commerzbank if it has support from all stakeholders and conditions are right, its CEO Andrea Orcel said. UniCredit angered the German government this week by raising its holding in Commerzbank close to 21%. Visa shares took a hit after the US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit accusing it of violating antitrust law by suppressing competition by threatening merchants with high fees and paying off potential rivals. Facebook owner Meta is preparing to kick off its annual Connect conference at its California headquarters, where it is expected to preview its first augmented reality glasses and announce updates to its existing virtual reality and AI products. Global growth is in the process of stabilizing as the drag from central bank rate hikes fades and falling inflation boosts households' incomes, the OECD said, marginally raising its outlook for this year.

In Pictures   People dressed in traditional clothes during the 189th Oktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth Oktoberfest has its origins in a horse race that took place in 1810 to celebrate the wedding of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. We take a look inside this year's edition of the legendary festival in Munich. See our photo gallery

And Finally... Belgian climate scientists grow the pears of the future. REUTERS/Bart Biesemans In the Belgian province of Limburg, one of the orchards in the country's pear-growing heartland stands out as unusual: a cluster of 12 transparent domes, perched high by a mirrored wall above the surrounding nature park. Inside the domes, researchers are growing pears in a controlled environment that simulates how climate change will affect the region in 2040. Their aim is to see what global warming has in store for Europe's fruit growers. Read more