WASHINGTON — The US is deploying additional military might in the Middle East as a defensive measure with a goal of de-escalating tensions in the region, a White House official said on Sunday.

Regional tensions have increased following the assassination on Wednesday of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Tehran a day after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, a senior military commander from the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Both groups are backed by Iran.

There are mounting fears that Israel’s war against Palestinian militants in Gaza, which began last October after attacks on the Jewish state, could escalate into a wider Middle East conflict. Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for Mr. Haniyeh’s killing in the Iranian capital, and they, together with Hezbollah, have vowed revenge. Israel has not claimed or denied responsibility.

US President Joseph R. Biden will convene his national security team in the situation room on Monday to discuss developments in the Middle East, the White House said, adding that he would speak with Jordan’s King Abdullah as well.

US news service Axios reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his counterpart from Group of 7 countries that Iran and Hezbollah could start attacking Israel as early as Monday, citing three sources briefed on the call. But Mr. Blinken, according to Axios, said it was unclear how Iran and Hezbollah would attack and did not know the exact timing.

When asked about the report, the State department referred to a readout of the call, where it said the ministers discussed “the urgent need for de-escalation in the Middle East.”

The Pentagon said on Friday it would deploy additional fighter jets and Navy warships to the region.

“The overall goal is to turn the temperature down in the region, deter and defend against those attacks, and avoid regional conflict,” Jonathan Finer, the White House’s deputy national security adviser, said on CBS’ Face the Nation program.

The U.S. and Israel are preparing for every possibility, Mr. Finer added.

There was a “very close call” of regional conflagration in April, Mr. Finer said, when Iran launched an attack on Israeli territory with drones and missiles after what it called an Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1 that killed seven officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Syrian capital.

The US wants to be prepared should that situation rise again, Mr. Finer added.

In a call with his Israeli counterpart, the Pentagon said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated the United States’ support for Israel’s security and “right to self-defense against threats from Iran, Lebanese Hizballah (Hezbollah), Houthis, and other Iranian-backed terrorist groups.”

Mr. Blinken spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Sunday and emphasized “the importance of all parties taking steps to calm regional tensions, avoid further escalation, and advance stability,” the State department said.

‘PRUDENT PLANNING’
Mr. Biden on Saturday expressed hope that Iran would stand down despite its threat to avenge Mr. Haniyeh’s killing.

The US on Wednesday urged its citizens who wish to leave Lebanon to start making plans immediately.

“This is no prediction about future events. It is prudent planning for them and for our government,” Mr. Finer said on CBS.

The British government advised its nationals to leave Lebanon. Canada told its citizens to avoid all travel to Israel, saying the regional conflict endangers security.

Mr. Haniyeh’s death was one in a series of killings of senior Hamas figures in the Gaza war — with nearly 40,000 Palestinians killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry — and it fueled concern of a wider Middle East conflict.

Hamas said it has begun a “broad consultation process” to choose a new leader to replace Mr. Haniyeh, who was the face of the group’s international diplomacy.

The US and international partners including France, Britain, Italy and Egypt continued diplomatic contacts seeking to prevent further regional escalation.

Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, will travel to Iran on Sunday in a rare visit to discuss regional developments with his Iranian counterpart, Iranian state media reported.

Violence continued on Sunday in the Palestinian territories.

At least 25 Palestinians were killed and several others injured on Sunday in an Israeli strike targeting two schools that were sheltering displaced people near Gaza City, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said.

Another strike hit a tent inside a hospital compound in central Gaza, killing at least five people, Gaza health officials said, after another round of talks ended without result. — Reuters

WELLINGTON — New Zealand’s green credentials are at risk as the government rolls back environmental reforms in a bid to boost a flailing economy and fulfil promises made to its voters.

Since taking power last year, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s center-right coalition announced it will reverse a ban on oil and gas exploration, push the pricing of agricultural emissions back five years and encourage more mining.

This is part of a government shift in priorities towards increasing exports to support an economy that grew just 0.3% in the year to March 2024, its lowest growth for the same period since the pandemic hit in 2020, and that has a current account deficit at 6.8% of gross domestic product.

Exports make up nearly a quarter of New Zealand’s economy.

“The economic situation for me, is arguably the worst of the set of circumstances that I can remember in my adult life,” Resources Minister Shane Jones said.

“So when the opportunity arose to champion the re-emergence of the mineral sector it was driven by quite a brutal understanding of what our economic situation is,” he added.

The agricultural sector including fishing contributes 5% to the economy, and accounts for about 80% of total exports. The farmers who helped Mr. Luxon’s government come to power had said the environmental policies that the coalition government are reversing would have made dairy and meat too costly to produce.

But while farmers and companies have cheered the changes, environmentalists criticized the coalition for what they said were shortsighted policies.

“They are not looking at both sides of the ledger here, and the economic impacts of wrecking the joint for a few quick bucks for the government of this day, and therefore putting at risk the prosperity of future generations of New Zealanders,” said Nicola Toki, chief executive of environmental organization Forest and Bird.

Last week, the national carrier Air New Zealand dropped its 2030 emissions target, citing delays in new aircraft and the high prices of environmentally friendly fuel. The opposition Green Party said it was concerned that the government’s “low ambition approach to climate change” would encourage more companies to follow suit.

A report from the government Climate Commission released last week said there were significant risks to New Zealand meeting its 2030 and 2035 domestic emission targets and its promised reduction in methane from animals and waste.

It noted any shortfall in meeting these targets would increase the need for more offshore mitigation to meet the nationally determined contribution. Treasury last year forecast mitigation could cost as much as NZ$23.5 billion ($14 billion).

EMISSION RISKS
The government has said it is working on a climate change plan that includes the planting of more trees, increasing renewable energy supply and investing in cutting edge technology to reduce emissions.

Climate Minister Simon Watts said the government expects to meet the 2030 target but admitted more work was needed to meet the 2035 target.

“The Government is committed to meeting our climate change targets, but the way in which we do this will be different to former New Zealand Governments,” he said. “This Government is using a least-cost approach to meet our climate targets. We will not shut down sectors that are boosting our economy and exports.”

Environmentalists, however, say this is not enough.

University of Otago Climate Change Research Network co-director Sara Walton said New Zealand would face significant reputational and financial damage for not meeting the targets.

“It’s more important than ever for companies to be reducing their emissions in order to remain competitive internationally in terms of supply chains,” said Ms. Walton.

After the rural vote helped the three party coalition government sweep to power last year, the government promised to pull agriculture from the emissions trading scheme.

Agricultural emissions would still be taxed from 2030 but rules around protecting “significant natural areas” to support biodiversity are being suspended.

Other sectors the government is targeting are energy and mineral resources.

It has said it would allow oil and gas exploration again, which former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern banned in 2018, in a bid to reduce imports of coal, boost fuel exports and keep energy prices for the public and small businesses low.

The government has also set a target to double mineral exports to NZ$2 billion over 10 years and has announced a stock take of its resources.

It has also proposed a fast-tracked consenting process that would allow the likes of mines to circumvent current resource consents if they can win ministerial approval.

Cindy Baxter, chair of environmental group Kiwis against Seabed Mining, is worried this will allow a controversial seabed mining project to go ahead on New Zealand’s west coast.

“It’s a beautiful piece of ocean with reefs and sea life… which could be absolutely destroyed by seabed mining,” Ms. Baxter said. — Reuters

HONG KONG — The number of Chinese couples who got married in the first half of this year fell to its lowest level since 2013, official data showed, as more young people deferred nuptials amid a slowing economy and a rise in living costs.

The number of marriages in China is closely tied to the number of births, and the decline is likely to upset policymakers trying hard to boost the population which has been shrinking for two consecutive years.

A total of 3.43 million couples tied the knot in the first six months of the year, a drop of 498,000 from the same year-ago period, the data on marriage registrations showed.

Marriage is seen as a prerequisite for having children due to widespread incentives and policies, including a requirement for parents to present a marriage certificate to register their child and receive state benefits.

Many young Chinese are opting to stay single or delay getting married due to poor job prospects and worries about the future as growth in the world’s second largest economy slows.

Marriage rates have been declining in China since 2014. While there was a slight pick up in 2023 due to pent-up demand after the easing of pandemic restrictions, the rate this year is expected to drop to its lowest since 1980, demographic expert He Yafu told state backed newspaper the Global Times.

Reasons for the decline in marriage registrations include a decrease in the number of young people, a higher number of males in the marriageable population versus females, the high cost of marriage, and changing attitudes, Mr. He said.

“The declining trend in China’s birth rate in the long run will be difficult to fundamentally change unless substantial childbirth support policies are implemented in the future to address this challenge,” Mr. He said.

China’s Civil Affairs University announced a new undergraduate marriage program to develop marriage-related industries and culture, drawing scorn from social media users who questioned the need for such a course as marriage rates decline. — Reuters