Thursday briefing: Iran is 'not looking for war'
Iran says it 'does not seek war'
The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard said yesterday that the country is “not looking for war”, appearing to indicate that tensions with the US would not escalate. But he also said Iran was prepared to respond if attacked.
“We are hearing threatening words from US officials,” General Hossein Salami, the military organization's main commander, was quoted as saying by Iranian state news media. “You have tested us and we know each other – we will leave no threat unanswered.”
Salami's comments came after President Biden said he had decided on a response to the weekend drone strike that killed three U.S. soldiers and injured more than 40 others in Jordan. The US said the attack came from an Iranian-backed militia in the region. Biden has not said what America's response will be.
Iran has denied ordering attacks on US forces, including the drone strike in Jordan. And in a clear sign that Iran is trying to curb tensions, Kata'ib Hezbollah, the militia the US says was most likely behind the attack in Jordan, said on Tuesday it would suspend its military operations in Iraq. The surprising statement revealed that the militia was under pressure from both Iran and Iraq.
West Bank: Anger and resentment do edit in the territory, where Israelis and Palestinians live in different worlds, but are often separated by only a single road – or roadblocks.
An EU summit on aid to Ukraine
EU leaders will meet in Brussels today to try to reach them an agreement on a multi-year aid package of $54 billion to Ukraine. Without more aid, Ukraine says it will face an economic crisis that analysts say could seriously undermine its ability to successfully counter Russia.
“It is the economy that wins wars,” said the head of the Ukraine program at Chatham House, a London-based research group.
This aid would cover about a quarter of Ukraine's national budget this year, including paying for teachers' salaries, pensions and medical care for the population.
But Prime Minister Viktor Orban – a close ally of President Vladimir Putin of Russia – blocked the EU aid package in December. This time, if he continues to stand in the way of aid, EU leaders have made it clear that they are ready to do whatever it takes to support Ukraine and are ready to work with him – or even to punish him.
In the U.S: The Biden administration is also vying to pass $60 billion in military, humanitarian and financial aid this year.
In Ukraine: Tensions between President Volodymyr Zelensky and his top general are reaching a fever pitch, but the firing of General Valery Zaluzhny could lead to a large number of problems, both in the war and at home.
A Thai court has ruled against Move Forward
A Thai court dealt a blow to the Move Forward party and ruled that this is so The push to reform the law against criticism of the monarchy was unconstitutional. The decision leaves the progressive party vulnerable to more legal challenges, which could pave the way for its eventual dissolution.
The court ordered Move Forward to halt all activities related to changing the royal defamation law, which is sacrosanct to Thailand's conservative establishment, calling the proposal an attempt to overthrow the monarchy.
Background: Move Forward won last year's general elections with Pita Limjaroenrat at the helm. He was subsequently denied access to become prime minister and the party was forced into opposition.
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Asiatic-Pacific
Where Toyko goes to relax
Stretching around the southern end of the Japanese island of Kyushu, Kagoshima Prefecture resembles the head of a dragon. While Tokyo and Kyoto draw a rush of Western tourists, Kagoshima attracts more visitors from Japan and Asia.
We asked some locals to create a guide to the region, which inspired the landscape in Hayao Miyazaki's 1997 animated film 'Princess Mononoke'. The forests are breathtaking and temperatures rarely drop below freezing during the day. Shoppers can head to pottery villages, while history buffs can find feudal riches.