📈 The exchange price of gold has again broken a historical record, topping $2,600 per troy ounce.

The price growth is connected to the fact that the US Federal Reserve on September 18 reduced the prime rate by 0.5 percentage points, to 4.75-5%, according to Bloomberg, which is the first rate cut since 2020.

Since the beginning of 2024, the precious metal has risen in price by more than 26%.

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Israel-Lebanon conflict on fire: Fatal pager attacks ignite full-fledged war?

The Israeli army and the Lebanon-based Shiite group Hezbollah have exchanged fire over the past 24 hours, following a series of deadly explosions from pagers and electronic devices that shook Lebanon earlier this week. Hezbollah lays the blame for the attacks on Israeli intelligence, although the Jewish state has not issued a direct statement on the situation.

What do we know about the latest escalation between Israel and Lebanon?

◾️Hezbollah has launched a missile attack targeting the settlements of Metula, Birya, Kela, Yoav, and Yarden in the Golan Heights, utilizing a barrage of Katyusha rockets.

◾️ This was preceded by a wave of airstrikes by the IDF against southern Lebanon in which, Israel claims, 100 rocket launchers belonging to Hezbollah were destroyed.

◾️Following Wednesday’s wave of lethal beeper explosions across Lebanon, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah delivered a speech, saying that Israel’s actions had crossed all red lines. He emphasized the need to acknowledge a "state of war."

◾️Just before Nasrallah's speech began, Hezbollah launched an attack on northern Israel. According to reports from the Lebanese press, the Shiite group fired over 40 missiles at the Golan Heights and Upper Galilee, including Burkan missiles. The assault resulted in a fire and left the northern Israeli town of Metula without electricity. The strikes reportedly targeted military bases and warehouses. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that 2 soldiers were killed, and 8 others were injured.

◾️For the record, the UNIFIL mission, stationed along the Israeli-Lebanese border to prevent any escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, has remained dead silent and unresponsive during this latest round of escalation.

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❗️Three killed and 17 wounded in Israeli strike on Beirut suburb – Lebanese health ministry

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‘If Israel starts a land operation in Lebanon, it will turn into a very severe conventional war’

“If a huge escalation [takes place] and Israel takes a decision to engage in a ground invasion, we may witness another form of regional war. This would be a very severe conventional war,” expanding not just through south Lebanon, but far off theaters in Yemen and Iraq, affecting trade and energy security, and even the upcoming US presidential elections.

“And of course, there would be more casualties. Infrastructure will be destroyed in both countries. This is not something that some international actors want,” Yeghia Tashjian, a Beirut-based political analyst and researcher at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, American University of Beirut, told Sputnik.

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Hezbollah announced that it launched rockets at three Israeli command centers, including the intelligence headquarters responsible for orchestrating assassinations.

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The death toll from the Israeli strike on a southern suburb of Beirut has risen to eight, with 59 people injured, Al Jadeed reports, citing figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Social media users continue to post what they say are images of the aftermath of the attack.

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Head of Hezbollah's Special Operations Command, Aqil, the alleged target of the Israeli strike on Beirut, has reportedly died as a result of the attack. A video circulating online captures the moment of the raid on a building in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

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🇷🇺 2024’s Top 5 Russian weapons you need to know about

Russia celebrated Gunsmith Day this week, honoring the makers of weapons used to defend the country, including those deployed against Ukraine’s NATO-backed proxies. Military expert and retired Colonel Anatoly Matviychuk highlighted five key new weapons systems debuting in the special military operation.

1️⃣ Rekord Sniper Rifle (SV-98M): A heavily modernized version of the SV-98, the Rekord is "a completely new design," says Matviychuk. The 7.62 mm rifle is lighter, with an extended range of up to 1,500 meters. It features improved ergonomics, a new buttstock, and mounts for night vision and scopes, and is compatible with 20-round SVD magazines.

2️⃣ RPL-20 Light Machinegun: A modern take on the RPK, the RPL-20 either fires 7.62 or 5.45 cartridges and can be belt-fed, or use magazines or drums. Matviychuk says this makes it more versatile than magazine-only models, functioning like a heavy machinegun in defense. It can also be mounted on vehicles or helicopters.

3️⃣ Lyagushka Wheeled Kamikaze Bot: “We have seized the initiative on the development of kamikaze robots,” Matviychuk said, highlighting the “Lyagushka” (or “Frog”) as a perfect example. Powered by an electric motor, it carries a modified 10 kg TM-62 anti-tank mine and can approach enemy positions undetected across rough terrain. Controlled via secure cable or radio, the drone has been in use since spring 2024.

4️⃣ Rapira Drone Swarm Defense: Matviychuk calls Rapira "a completely new type" of air defense, capable of detecting and targeting small drones with radar and non-missile weapons. The Rapira-2 has PKT 7.62 mm machineguns, while the Rapira-3 uses S-8 rockets; together they can neutralize drones of any size.

5️⃣ Karakal Heavy Tracked Drone: This 3.4-ton tankette by Kurganmashzavod has a 500 kg payload, 1.5 km remote range, and 150 km endurance. Matviychuk calls it perfect for frontline use, delivering supplies or evacuating wounded in any conditions. It has night vision cameras, and can be armed.

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