by Houthis stand firm after US attacks
After U.S.-led strikes on Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen on Thursday and Friday, U.S. officials said the militia had retained about three-quarters of its ability to attack ships transiting the Red Sea.
The airstrikes damaged or destroyed about 90 percent of their targets. But much of the Houthis’ offensive capabilities are mounted on mobile platforms and can easily move or hide.
And finding targets is harder than anticipated. Western intelligence agencies have not devoted significant time or resources in recent years to collecting data on the location of Houthi air defenses, command centers, ammunition depots and drone and missile facilities, the officials said.
The shortcomings reveal the challenges facing the United States and its allies as they seek to deter the Iranian-backed Houthis from retaliating, secure critical sea routes between Europe and Asia and contain the spread of the regional conflict. The Houthis have said they will continue attacking ships in solidarity with the Palestinians until Israel withdraws from Gaza.
Whats Next: In response, the militia launched a single missile into the Red Sea. U.S. officials are preparing for more, but said the Houthis appear divided over how to respond.
Analysis: Since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, President Biden has worked to avoid a broader war in the Middle East. Now the question seems to be: How wide will it get?
Background: Here’s an introduction to the Houthis, their relationship with Hamas, and the attacks in the Red Sea.
Taiwan’s elected president is a setback for China
Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s vice president, was elected Saturday as the next president. His victory is a setback for Beijing: Lai has vowed to continue his party’s policy of protecting Taiwan’s sovereignty and has been vilified by China’s Communist Party as a dangerous enemy.
How Taiwan confronts an increasingly aggressive Beijing was the central issue of the election. Lai will be president of Taiwan at a time when, some U.S. officials have warned, China will be increasingly willing to try to seize or subdue Taiwan by force.
Lai, who will take office in May, campaigned to ensure continuity with her predecessor, President Tsai Ing-wen. She has tried to keep Beijing at arm’s length while she tries to avoid conflict. At the same time, she has strengthened ties with the United States and other democracies and sought to strengthen Taiwan’s military defenses.
Lai faces the challenge of navigating the dangerous nuances of dealing with Beijing. People who know him say he may have to watch his tendency to make occasional, spontaneous comments, which Beijing could exploit into crises.
Background: Lai, the son of a coal miner who died of carbon monoxide poisoning on the job, is a former doctor and mayor and is sensitive to issues such as rising housing costs and a shortage of job opportunities, his supporters say.
India’s overloaded judicial system
More than 50 million criminal and civil cases are pending across India, and about 77 percent of prisoners are awaiting trial, compared to one in three worldwide. People wait decades for justice, and clearing the backlog could take more than 300 years.
The country has one of the lowest ratios of judges to population in the world. There have been no significant increases in funding for the courts; archaic rules inherited from the British hinder the process; Lawyers do not opt for brevity. “How long will it take to get a decision in your case?” said a judge. “If you’re lucky, maybe in your lifetime.”
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Netflix gives in to Hindu complaints
Netflix pulled “Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food” two weeks after its release after an activist filed a police complaint arguing that the film was “intentionally released to hurt Hindu sentiments.” The activist, a self-described “very proud Hindu Indian nationalist,” said the film mocked Hinduism by “depicting our gods consuming non-vegetarian food.”
The film, a light-hearted melodrama, is about a cook who overcomes caste prejudices. (Her father, a Brahmin, doesn’t want her to cook meat, a taboo in her lineage. There’s even a hint of a Hindu-Muslim romantic subplot.)
The production company sent a letter to a right-wing group linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, apologizing for having “hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu and Brahmin community.” The film was pulled from Netflix both in India and worldwide at the licensor’s request, Netflix officials in Mumbai said.
Netflix and other companies in its position have become increasingly familiar with right-wing campaigns against films deemed hurtful to the sentiments of Hindu communities. Burning tires and throwing stones in cinemas are the new norm.
