First Thing: Pakistan PM authorises ‘corresponding action’ after India strikes kill 26

UN calls for maximum restraint from two nuclear powers. Plus, Israeli minister accused of ethnic cleansing for vowing ‘Gaza will be entirely destroyed’

Good morning.

At least 26 people, including several children, have been killed and 46 injured after India launched attacks on what it claimed were nine sites of “terrorist infrastructure” inside Pakistan, in a sharp escalation of hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Pakistan called the strikes an “act of war” and claimed it had shot down five Indian air force jets and a drone. The office of the prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, said that the country’s armed forces had been authorised to undertake “corresponding actions”, Reuters reports.

India had accused Pakistan of involvement in an attack targeting Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir last month that killed 26 people. “We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” the Indian defence ministry said.

• How did India explain the attack? It said it struck nine Pakistani “terrorist infrastructure” sites, some linked to the attack by Islamist militants in Indian Kashmir last month. Delhi said its actions had been “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature”.

• What has the UN said? “The secretary-general … calls for maximum military restraint from both countries,” a spokesperson said. “The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan.”

• What’s the background to the Kashmir crisis? Control of Kashmir, in the foothills of the Himalayas, has been disputed since India and Pakistan gained independence from Britain in 1947. Read the background here and follow live coverage here.

Israeli minister accused of ‘ethnic cleansing Palestinians’ after vow ‘Gaza will be entirely destroyed’

An Israeli government minister has caused global alarm and been accused of ethnic cleansing after vowing that “Gaza will be entirely destroyed” in an Israeli military victory and that its Palestinian population will “leave in great numbers to third countries”.

The declaration on Tuesday by the finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, came a day after Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan for Operation Gideon’s Chariots, which an official said would entail “the conquest of the Gaza Strip and the holding of the territories”.

Israel’s threats to seize control of the territory permanently has caused global outrage. A UN spokesperson said on Monday that António Guterres, the UN secretary general, was “alarmed” by the plan. Stephen Cutts, the interim head of Medical Aid for Palestinians, said: “Israel’s proposed military controlled aid mechanism was a dangerous attempt to weaponize humanitarian aid, entrench further control over Gaza, and continue its ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.”

• How did Hamas respond to Israel’s plan for “conquest” of Gaza? After the intensified offensive was announced, Hamas said it was no longer interested in truce talks and urged the international community to halt Israel’s “hunger war” against Gaza, a reference to the total blockade on aid deliveries to Gaza since 2 March.

• What about other nations in the region? Israel’s neighbours Egypt and Jordan have said they will refuse to allow an exodus of refugees into their territory, arguing that would make them party to the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. Humanitarian officials say the territory is on the brink of catastrophe as food and fuel runs out owing to the total Israeli blockade.

• What’s the latest on legal proceedings amid allegations of Israeli genocide? The international court of justice is assessing allegations of genocide against Israel for its military campaign in Gaza, and last year issued a series of provisional measures that included orders for Israel to “take all measures” to prevent genocide being committed or incited, and to allow the “unhindered provision” of humanitarian assistance across the territory’s southern border with Egypt.

Trump says ‘we just want to be friends’ as Canada PM torpedoes 51st state idea

Donald Trump said “we just want to be friends with Canada” after his first post-election meeting with the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, who used the gathering to shoot down any prospect of Canada becoming part of the US.

In the Oval Office, Trump praised Carney for one of the “greatest political comebacks of all time”, and described the prime minister’s visit as “an honour” for the White House.

The amicable tone of Tuesday’s meeting marked a stark contrast with Trump’s hostile rhetoric over recent months, as he launched a trade war against his northern neighbor, belittled Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, and repeatedly threatened to crush Canada’s economy with the aim of annexing it.

• What did Carney say about Trump’s “51st state” rhetoric? “As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale. … Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign … it’s not for sale. Won’t be for sale, ever.”

In other news …

• The German parliament formally elected Friedrich Merz as chancellor yesterday after a humiliating loss in the first round of voting. In comments to broadcasters, Merz warned the US to “stay out” of German politics after members of the Trump administration publicly supported the far-right AfD.

• Meta won a $168m verdict against the Israeli surveillance firm NSO, ending a six-year struggle between the social-networking platform and spyware company.

• TeleMessage, the communications app used by Mike Waltz, the former national security adviser, says it is temporarily suspending services, after a reported hack exposed some of its potentially sensitive messages.

Stat of the day: Inside the lab breeding up to 1,000 GM mosquitoes a day to fight malaria

There were an estimated 263m cases of malaria and 597,000 deaths in 83 countries in 2023, according to the World Health Organization. But now Oxitec, a British company, is producing 500-1000 GM mosquitoes a day that carry a “self-limiting” gene that kills off female offspring, reducing the spread of diseases.

Don’t miss this: ‘It’s out of control’ – the fight against US ‘tip-creep’

Tipping has been a longstanding practice in US businesses, where service workers often make less than the federal minimum wage and rely on gratuities to make a living. But it has now crept into new sectors, with many saying tipping culture has become inescapable. People share their experiences – and some fight back on tipping.

Climate check: Two-thirds of global heating caused by richest 10%, study suggests

The world’s wealthiest 10% are responsible for two-thirds of global heating since 1990, helping cause droughts and heatwaves in the poorest parts of the world, according to a study in the journal Nature Climate Change. The paper explores how inequality translates into responsibility for climate breakdown.

Last Thing: Is Dua Lipa the best literary interviewer?

Dua Lipa’s interviews feel different from the usual PR-prepared soundbites, writes Joel Snape. Her conversation with Olga Tokarczuk, for instance, includes a lengthy digression on William Blake’s role as an anti-establishment figure in communist Poland.

Sign up

First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.

Get in touch

If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com