 |
| Vahid Salemi/Associated Press |
Israel launched an attack on Iran
Israel struck dozens of Iranian targets early this morning, including nuclear sites, killing top military officials and scientists. The assault raises fears the conflict could explode into all-out war between the Middle East’s two most powerful militaries. Iran had not been attacked by a foreign enemy with such sweeping force since the country was at war with Iraq in 1989. Here’s the latest.
The strikes appear to have all but wiped out Iran’s chain of command, with Iranian officials and media reports saying that at least three top generals were killed, as well as two prominent nuclear scientists, in what appeared to be a move away from individual assassinations to targeted strikes. At least a dozen civilians were also killed, according to the state news agency.
Several Israeli officials described the attacks as a pre-emptive strike intended to keep Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb. The Israeli military suggested there would be more to come, calling the strike “the first stage.” Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed that the battle would continue for “as many days as it takes.”
The assault came one day after the UN’s nuclear watchdog censured Iran for violating nonproliferation obligations and as American and Iranian negotiators planned Sunday talks in Oman about Iran’s nuclear program — meetings that are now in doubt. The U.S. said it was not involved in the strikes. It may take days, or weeks, to assess how far Israel has set back Iran’s atomic capabilities.
Next steps: Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a statement that Israel “should anticipate a harsh punishment. The strong hand of the Islamic Republic will not let them go.” Iranian fighter jets moved quickly to intercept the Israeli warplanes, an Iranian official said, and sirens wailed in Jerusalem and other cities. See a timeline of the conflict.
Witness accounts: Residents of Tehran, the Iranian capital, reported hearing huge explosions, and Iranian state television broadcast images of smoke and fire billowing from buildings.
 |
| The tail of an Air India plane after it crashed into a medical school shortly after takeoff near the airport in Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday. Adnan Abidi/Reuters |
Nearly 300 people died in a plane crash in India
An Air India passenger jet bound for London crashed into a medical college’s dining hall moments after takeoff in Ahmedabad, India, yesterday, killing more than 260 people, including 169 Indian citizens, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. It was India’s worst aviation disaster since 1996. See maps and photos of the crash.
Viswash Kumar Ramesh, the only passenger known to have survived the crash, called his family in Britain moments after he emerged from the wreckage on Thursday and said he was at a loss to explain his luck. “I don’t know how I am alive,” he said, according to his younger brother.
Go deeper: It could take months or years to determine the cause of the crash, but safety experts questioned why the plane appeared to have descended so soon after it took off. The Dreamliner has been under scrutiny for years but had never been involved in a fatal crash before yesterday.
On the ground: Officials at the chaotic crash site at B.J. Medical College said that the plane had most likely skidded after it came down, damaging buildings before bursting into flames. Here’s what we know so far.
 |
| A federal judge last night blocked President Trumps order for deploying members of the California National Guard in Los Angeles. Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times |
Trump’s deployment of troops to L.A. is now in doubt
A federal judge last night issued an order blocking President Trump from deploying members of the California National Guard in Los Angeles, and he ordered the administration to return control of the forces to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The administration quickly filed an appeal, which temporarily stopped the ruling from taking effect while the appeals court considers the case.
The restraining order, which would have taken effect Friday at noon Pacific time, delivered a sharp rebuke to Trump’s effort to deploy thousands of troops on the streets of an American city, a move that has contributed to nearly a week of political rancor and protests across the country.
“His actions were illegal — both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the judge, Charles Breyer, wrote of Trump’s orders.
Related: Alex Padilla, a U.S. senator from California, was forced to the ground and handcuffed by federal agents after he pushed past guards to ask a question at a news conference by the Homeland Security secretary in Los Angeles.
| MORE TOP NEWS |
 |
| Paulo Nunes dos Santos for The New York Times |
| Northern Ireland: Anti-migrant rioters clashed with the police for a third night and set fire to a recreation center where families had been temporarily settled. Australia: The Trump administration is reviewing a 2021 deal to equip Australia with nuclear submarines to determine whether it meets “America First criteria,” a U.S. official said. Austria: The 21-year-old suspect in the school shooting in Graz was a loner obsessed with online shooting games, according to investigators. Harvey Weinstein: The judge overseeing the former Hollywood mogul’s sex-crimes trial declared a mistrial on a final charge against him. U.S.: The Russian scientist Kseniia Petrova was released on bail after four months in custody. Japan: Defense officials said that a Chinese fighter jet had flown close to a Japanese military plane in the Pacific, risking a collision. Climate: Warming seas can change how the oceans conduct sound, which makes submarines harder to detect. Trade war: The U.S. Commerce Department said household appliances made with steel parts would soon be subject to new tariffs that would be set at 50 percent. Europe: Protests against overtourism are planned on Sunday in Spain, Portugal, Italy and possibly France. Here’s what to expect. Brian Wilson: Paul McCartney, Carole King and others paid tribute to the leader of the Beach Boys, whose death was announced this week. |
U.S.-China Relations
| Tech: Here’s how the U.S. has used export controls to hold back China’s access to advanced technology. Trade: Many analysts are asking what was gained by Trump’s recent aggressive trade tactics against China. His actions may have backfired. Diplomacy: China’s strategy for dealing with the Trump administration involves stalling and using its chokehold over critical minerals. |
| SPORTS NEWS |
 |
| Alejandro Pagni/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
| Soccer: The Club World Cup kicks off tomorrow when Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami faces Al Ahly. Here’s an in-depth guide. |
| Triathlon: Sam Long is the sport’s tortoise and hare, all in one. A slow swimmer, he picks off competitors on dry land. Golf: Get the latest news after the big hitters headed out for Day 1 of the U.S. Open. |
| MORNING READ |
A team of genealogists traced Pope Leo’s ancestry back 500 years and found that his family tree is astonishingly diverse. The pope’s ancestors, 17 of whom were Black, came from France, Italy, Spain, Cuba and Haiti, among other countries.
They include noblemen, freedom fighters, enslaved people, slaveholders and some famous but distant cousins, like Angelina Jolie, Jack Kerouac and Madonna. Here are five key discoveries from the pope’s family tree.
| CONVERSATION STARTERS |
| The anti-Bali: The Indonesian island of Sumba is just an hour’s flight from Bali. It’s as quiet as Bali is thumping. A sea of nude latex: Fans of the Miami rapper Pitbull copy his look at concerts, complete with bald caps. Bigger and better: Our tech writer’s verdict on Nintendo’s Switch 2 is in. It will be a hit. Did she or didn’t she? A fan had a question about Kylie Jenner’s breast augmentation. She pulled back the curtain. |
| ARTS AND IDEAS |
| Pool photo by Wpa; Manan Vatsyayana/Agence France-Presse—Getty Images; Ng Han Guan/Associated Press; Xinhua/EPA |
Military parades that aren’t just parades
As Washington prepares to hold a military parade tomorrow to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, on the same day as President Trump’s 79th birthday, we took a closer look at similar displays around the world, from Tiananmen Square in Beijing to the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
Whether military parades are used by autocracies to intimidate or by democracies to commemorate, they all tend to share a common visual vocabulary. These images show how military parades deliver a grand spectacle and a potent message. Take a look.
| RECOMMENDATIONS |
Cook: Spaghetti Napolitan is the Japanese take on red-sauce pasta.
