Israel tells Iranians their lives are at risk if they use trains as Trump deadline looms | First Thing
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Israel has told Iranians their lives will be at risk if they use the country’s railways on Tuesday, after Donald Trump’s threats to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants unless a deal is reached by Tuesday evening.
Israel’s military, writing in Farsi, said in a social media post that “from this moment” – 8.50am Iran time – until 9pm, Iranians should refrain from “travelling by train throughout Iran” for the sake of their own security.
Trump, who is demanding Iran reopens the strait of Hormuz, on Monday set a deadline of Tuesday 8pm ET for Iran to agree a deal with Washington or face the bombing of its civil infrastructure. Trump had previously said: “We are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants very hard and probably simultaneously.”
Legal experts have said that such an attack on the vital infrastructure for 93 million Iranians would constitute a war crime. The president’s threat to carry out mass bombing of civilian infrastructure leaves US military officers with a dilemma: disobey orders or help commit war crimes, writes Julian Border in his analysis.
How are negotiations to end the war going? They appeared to be faltering. Iran, which has submitted its own 10-point peace plan, said it wanted a permanent end to the war, not a ceasefire.
Trump threatens to jail journalist to find source of second missing airman report
Donald Trump has threatened to jail the journalist, or journalists, who reported that a second US airman was missing after being shot down by Iran on Friday, unless they reveal their source.
Trump told reporters on Monday that his government was aggressively pursuing the “leaker” who revealed information about the missing airman to the media, arguing they had put the service member in danger. The president announced on Sunday that the airman had been recovered.
How has Trump targeted the media? The president has attacked outlets publishing reporting he dislikes by threatening lawsuits and restricting access. In January, a Washington Post reporter’s home was raided by the FBI, in a case that is still unfolding in a Virginia court.
Blackouts, broken records and a message from the past: five key moments from Artemis II’s lunar flyby
The astronauts of Artemis II have travelled farther from Earth than any human before them, breaking the record on the sixth day of their historic lunar mission.
During a six-hour flyby, the crew of the Orion capsule captured footage of the moon’s far side that have never been seen before. The crew woke up that day to a message from Jim Lovell, the Apollo 13 commander, who had recorded the audio for the crew two months before his death last August.
What did the message say? “Welcome to my old neighborhood,” said Lovell, who also flew on Apollo 8, humanity’s first lunar visit. “It’s a historic day and I know how busy you’ll be, but don’t forget to enjoy the view.”
In other news …
Bangladesh launched a measles vaccination drive as the number of children dead passed 100, amid a rise in unvaccinated infants.
The rightwing media host and Trump ally Steve Bannon appears likely to have his criminal conviction dismissed, after efforts to quash it by the Trump administration.
A second ex-staffer has accused the Texas lawmaker Tony Gonzales of sending sexually explicit messages. The Republican admitted in March to having an affair with a different aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide last year.
Immigration enforcement agents have detained the wife of a US soldier in Louisiana, days after their wedding and as he was preparing to deploy.
Stat of the day: US dumps hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic waste in Mexico each year
The US ships hundreds of thousands of tons of hazardous waste to Mexico each year, government records show, including lead-acid car batteries. With plastic waste in particular, the UN expert Marcos Orellana said, once it crosses the border, there is often little clarity about its final destinations. “US overconsumption and economic activity are using Mexico as a garbage sink,” he said, worsening health outcomes for residents.
Culture pick:Joe Eszterhas on his wild times – and his supernatural, anti-woke Basic Instinct reboot
The screenwriter Joe Eszterhas’s best years in Hollywood were, conversely, his worst. “The coke and the booze,” he says. “Those weren’t helping my creativity, they were holding it back.” Eszterhas, who wrote Jagged Edge, co-scripted Flashdance and made a then record $3m for his Basic Instinct screenplay, shares his highs and lows – and his plans for a supernatural Basic Instinct reboot.
Don’t miss this: Why some cities are shutting down Flock cameras
Flock Safety – a firm that provides automated license plate readers – is in the crosshairs as cities across the US struggle to find a balance between privacy and security. As videos circulate of hackers showing how they obtained access to live video feeds from its cameras, and amid concerns about their potential use by immigration enforcement, residents and some city councillors in one Georgia city are pushing back.
Climate check: As Iran war exposes global dependence on fossil fuels, the biggest emitters are reaping the rewards
The Iran war is lining the coffers of petrostates, as soaring oil prices hand them increased profits they can invest into more hydrocarbon extraction. The US oil and gas sector is expected to reap a $60bn windfall from the war, while Russia’s economy has been handed a lifeline by rising commodity prices.
Last Thing: Hatchings of two California bald eagle chicks delight vast livestream audience
Over Easter weekend, thousands of people tuned in to watch as two bald eagle chicks hatched in a pine tree in southern California’s San Bernardino national forest. Two eaglets were born to Jackie and Shadow, a southern California pair that have become avian celebrities thanks to the webcam that has livestreamed their activities since 2018.
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