Good morning. We’re covering the latest from the Iran-Israel war and China’s hacking of Russia. Plus: A well-worn narrative playbook.
Trump will decide on Iran strikes within ‘two weeks’President Trump will be ready to decide whether to bomb Iran “within the next two weeks,” the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said yesterday. It is one of the president’s favorite units of time — previously employed in reference to resolving tax plans, health care policies, the fight against ISIS and even the war in Ukraine. Here’s the latest. In a White House statement announcing Trump’s new timeline, he said that there was “a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future.” As the war entered its seventh day, the Israeli military launched a wave of strikes this morning against sites in northern provinces far from Tehran, suggesting a geographical expansion of its targets. In Israel, an Iranian missile barrage hit several locations yesterday, including the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. It was the first Israeli hospital to be hit directly since the fighting began last week, and several patients were injured. Hospital officials said much of the building had recently been evacuated. Analysis: Trump’s revised timeline opens a host of new military and covert options, my colleagues David E. Sanger and Tyler Pager write. Related:
Chinese hackers are looking for Russia’s war secretsGroups linked to the Chinese government have repeatedly hacked Russian companies and government agencies since the first months of the war in Ukraine. China probably sees the war as a chance to collect military secrets and use Russia’s battlefield experience to prepare for potential conflicts of its own, like a fight over Taiwan, experts said. It is unclear how successful the hacking attempts have been, in part because Russian officials have never publicly acknowledged them. But they show that China sees Russia as a vulnerable target, experts say, even though the nations profess to have a close partnership and have promised for years not to hack each other’s networks.
Pakistan’s covert drone programPakistan is quietly using drones within its own borders, especially in remote regions near Afghanistan, to monitor and strike at Islamist militants and separatist insurgents. Drones are a politically sensitive issue in the country: When the U.S. government used them to target groups like Al Qaeda on Pakistani soil, a significant number of civilians were also killed. At that time, Pakistan heavily criticized the tactic it has now adopted — and once again, civilian deaths are being reported.
Science & Technology
Inflammation gets a bad rap, but when it occurs normally it’s actually positive — it helps broken bones heal and sounds the alarm when we are infected with a virus. It’s only when inflammation sticks around too long, or appears when there’s no threat, that it can become harmful. Learn more with this illustrated guide. Lives lived: Kim Woodburn, the platinum-haired, trash-talking heroine of the British reality series “How Clean Is Your House,” died at 83.
‘Jaws’ was a blueprint for blockbustersSteven Spielberg’s film about a giant, murderous shark was released 50 years ago. It created a narrative playbook that filmmakers have followed closely ever since. The plot is so familiar that you’ll probably recognize it, even if you’ve never seen the film. It goes a little something like this: First, a creature stalks a remote location and attacks the first victim. Next, a reluctant hero challenges a local authority and enlists experts to help. And finally, a sacrifice and a confrontation lead to the creature’s death. |
