Good morning. We’re covering Trump’s call for Iran to surrender and more violence at Gaza aid sites. Plus, octopuses’ marvelous arms.
Trump called for Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’Fears of a wider war grew after President Trump called yesterday for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and mentioned the possibility of killing the country’s supreme leader. Iran has prepared missiles and other equipment for possible strikes on U.S. bases in the Middle East should the U.S. join Israel’s war effort, according to U.S. officials who have reviewed intelligence reports. Trump wrote on Truth Social that “we know exactly where” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, “is hiding,” but added, “we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least for now.” He also boasted that “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” associating himself with Israel’s strikes on Iran even though U.S. forces do not appear to have been involved. Trump’s immediate decision will be whether to deploy a more than 13,600-kilo bomb that would allow Israel to strike Iran’s deepest nuclear enrichment site. His public threats against Iran have revived a long-dormant debate among U.S. lawmakers about clawing back Congress’s power to declare war. Here are the latest updates, and maps showing recent strikes between Iran and Israel. Shifting position: For months, Trump pushed back against Israel’s plan to attack Iran in favor of a diplomatic solution. Here’s an in-depth look at how he came to tolerate the campaign. Analysis: Some analysts believe that Israel is trying to depose Iran’s government, a regime change of the sort that Trump has decried for years. Related coverage:
Gaza aid deaths continue as the world watches IranMore than 50 Palestinians were killed yesterday near the aid distribution site in Khan Younis, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which blamed Israel for the deaths. The Israeli military said that a crowd had gathered near an aid truck that was stuck, and that it was aware of reports that people had been wounded by Israeli fire when they approached the truck. The military added that it “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals.” A similar incident on Monday claimed the lives of 20 Palestinians and left 200 wounded, the health ministry said. Context: In recent weeks, Israeli forces have repeatedly used lethal force against hungry and desperate Palestinian civilians to control crowds around new aid sites, forcing many to choose between food and the risk of getting shot.
The deadliest strike on Kyiv in almost a yearRussia pummeled Kyiv with drones and missiles yesterday, killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 100 in the deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital in almost a year. The attack dimmed already fragile hopes for a cease-fire, and it came as world leaders were meeting at a G7 summit in Canada. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, said he had planned yesterday to press allies for more support and tougher sanctions on Russia, and to meet with Trump. But Trump renewed his embrace of President Vladimir Putin at Monday’s meeting, and then left the summit that night. “It’s a disgrace when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye” to Russia’s assaults, Zelensky said.
A group of mostly Indigenous youth is about to become the first party in 100 years to kayak the full length of the Klamath River in Oregon and California, a journey of more than 300 miles. The river, an ancient lifeline for Indigenous tribes, now runs mostly free after a decades-long movement that led to the removal of four major dams. My colleague John Branch tagged along.
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Octopus arms spy on an invisible worldWhen octopuses reach into nooks and crannies for food, they are tasting their prey with greater sophistication than scientists had previously known. The animals’ tentacles can detect microbes on surfaces and learn from them, according to a new study in the journal Cell. Microbes respond to their environment by releasing chemicals, which the octopus tastes with receptors on its arms. In a manner similar to the way we can taste spoiled milk, which sours as microbes break it down, octopuses can tell the difference between a rotting crab and one that’s safe to eat. Read more.
Cook: In this quick and simple pasta, |
