Israel's response to Iran's attack seems inevitable
Leading European diplomats arrived in Israel yesterday to make another call for the country to show restraint in the face of Iran's aerial attack over the weekend. But David Cameron, the British foreign secretary, said retaliation seemed inevitable.
“It is clear that the Israelis are making a decision to act,” Cameron told the BBC. “We hope that they do so in a way that escalates the problem as little as possible.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, signaling that he plans to move forward with a response, despite pressure from the US, UK, Germany and other countries to de-escalate the situation. After meeting with diplomats, Netanyahu thanked Israel's allies for their “support in words and deeds,” according to his office. However, he added: “I want to be clear – we will make our own decisions.”
Israeli officials are said to be considering a range of options, including direct attacks on Iran, attacks on Iranian targets in other countries, cyber attacks and assassinations. They want to send a clear message to Tehran while not provoking a major escalation.
Israeli Detention: Gazans released after being detained by Israel graphic scenes of physical abuseaccording to a report published by UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees.
Lebanon: Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, claimed responsibility for an attack in northern Israel that the Israeli military said occurred. 14 soldiers were injured.
Russia attacked Ukraine when the US moved to provide aid
In At least 17 people were killed yesterday and dozens of others were reported injured when three Russian missiles struck Chernihiv, north of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's President, said the death toll could rise and blamed a lack of air defense for the loss of life.
“This would not have happened if Ukraine received enough air defense equipment and if the world's determination to fight Russian terrorism was also strong enough,” he said.
More US aid may be coming soon. Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, said yesterday he expected to vote Saturday on a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine and other long-stalled foreign aid.
Explosions were also reported yesterday at a key Russian base in the Moscow-occupied Crimean Peninsula, apparently in an attack by Ukraine. Ukrainian officials did not comment on the apparent attack that took place in Dzhankoi, a Russian road and rail hub, but Russian bloggers linked to the Kremlin reported that Ukrainian missiles struck around the base. keep.
Background: Ukraine is trying to target Russian arms sources, in part because US military aid has largely been suspended in the face of Republican opposition. Ukraine is also running out of ammunition needed for the air defense systems it uses to fend off almost daily missile attacks.
Way forward: Thousands of foreign fighters registered to fight with Ukraine. Time spent four days with some of them.
Heavy rain devastated the UAE and Oman
Record rainfall has brought cities across the United Arab Emirates and Oman to a standstill. At least 19 people died in Oman.
The rain caused flights to be diverted from Dubai, with videos showing planes leaving waves as they maneuvered over flooded runways. In Muscat, the capital of Oman, flash floods turned streets into raging rivers.
Experts said the extreme flooding was probably the result of a frequent rainy weather system, increased by climate change. The UAE experienced its heaviest rain in 75 years on Tuesday, the government said.
Clerics in Indonesia are promoting “Green Islam” issue fatwas or decrees to combat climate change.
Some activities aim to educate people, showing how environmentalism is a part of the Quran. Others are making physical changes, like adding solar panels and a water recycling system to Southeast Asia's largest mosque.
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A new US-China podcast
Jane Perlez, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who served as The Times Beijing bureau chief, spent much of her career writing about China. She covers the rise of Chinese leader Xi Jinping and how the United States struggles to respond to China's growth.
Now, Jane is exploring the origins of the rivalry and conflict between the two superpowers in her new podcast, “Face-Off: The US vs. China”. In the eight-episode series, Jane and her co-host, Rana Mitter, a historian at Harvard, talk to diplomats, spies and even Yo-Yo Ma.
They focus on key parts of the fraying relationship – including near-collises between US spy planes and Chinese fighter jets as well as Apple's compromises in courting China Nations – to find out how two countries that were once friends became rivals.
“We tried to come up with some rationales and some ways to think about moving forward without being hysterical,” Jane told me. “We're trying to see China for what it is, which is a challenge, but it's something the United States is extremely capable of solving.”
