Thursday briefing: Iran raises military threats
Iranian attacks fuel regional tensions
A day after Iran launched missile strikes in neighboring Pakistan, Iran's Defense Minister vowed yesterday that his country would place “no restrictions whatsoever” on the use of its capabilities against enemies when necessary.
The strikes have increased tensions in a region where conflict has now affected at least five countries.
In a statement, Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state, said it “reserves the right to respond” to what it called an illegal and unprovoked attack. The country expelled the Iranian ambassador from Islamabad and recalled its own ambassador from Iran. But retaliation could risk pushing Pakistan, already mired in political and economic crises, into Middle Eastern turmoil that it has so far avoided.
Details: Iranian attacks also hit targets in Syria and Iraq this week. Iranian officials said the attacks targeted terrorists they accused of being behind the bombing that killed 86 people at a memorial parade for Major General Qassim Suleimani earlier this month. The Iraqi and Pakistani governments rejected Iran's justifications and both countries reported civilian casualties.
Analysis: Experts say Iran is walking a fine line, hoping to use its strength to show conservatives at home that it can strike its enemies – without getting directly involved in a fight with Israel, the US or their allies.
China wants women to have more children
China's birth rate has continued to decline and the population has declined again, despite government efforts to encourage women to have more children. And while the economy grew by 5.2 last yearslows growth in the longer term.
To encourage women to have more children, China has offered housing, tax and monetary benefits – and even appealed to their patriotism, calling on them to be “good wives and mothers.”
It's not working: Last year the population shrank for the second year in a row, official data released yesterday showed, and births fell for the seventh year in a row, threatening China's efforts to restore its shrinking and stabilize an aging population.
The economic growth is a sign of China's recovery from 'zero Covid' pandemic controls, but it also hides a long-term weakness: fewer babies will ultimately mean fewer working-age people.
Youth unemployment: The statistics office also released new data last summer after a pause. It now uses an “optimized” method that has lowered the figure.
Response: Shares in Hong Kong fell almost 4 percent on concerns about the Chinese economy.
Gazans fled a hospital as fighting intensified
Displaced Palestinians sheltering at Nasser Hospital, the largest hospital in the southern Gaza Strip, fled the site late Tuesday night as fighting flared nearby, videos showed. The fighting near the hospital, which is located in Khan Younis, has raised fears that Israeli forces might advance towards it.
About 7,000 people are believed to have been sheltered at the facility, the UN said. Many Gazans have moved several times since the war began, reinforcing the feeling that nowhere in the enclave is safe.
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Simbarashe Cha, who explores street style around the world for The Times, visited Melbourne, Australia. The black palette and tattoos reminded him of Berlin. View his photos here.
Being bilingual can keep you on your toes
Research shows that bilingual people enjoy certain cognitive benefits later in life, and that speaking a second language could even delay Alzheimer's disease by five years.
“We use language in all aspects of daily life, so a bilingual brain is constantly at work,” says a professor at Western Sydney University in Australia who specializes in bilingualism. “You don't really get that from other enriching experiences, such as playing a musical instrument.”
The age at which you learn a language appears to be less important than how often you speak the language, according to an expert. Older adults who try to learn a second language as a hobby may see some benefit, but the evidence is shakier.