Thursday Briefing: Attacks in the Red Sea

U.S. and British warships intercepted projectiles.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story January 11, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and a state of emergency in Ecuador. Plus: Crucial elections in Africa. A photo provided by Britain's Ministry of Defense yesterday, taken from the bridge of the H.M.S. Diamond, shows missiles fired in the Red Sea. British Ministry of Defense, via Associated Press U.S. and Britain shot down Houthi attack in Red Sea U.S. and British warships intercepted 21 drones and missiles fired on Tuesday from areas of Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, officials said. The U.S. and its allies are now weighing how to shut down other attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea. The Houthi attacks, in solidarity with Hamas in its war against Israel, have forced the world's largest shipping companies to reroute vessels away from the Red Sea, creating delays and extra costs felt worldwide through higher prices for oil and other imported goods. The Biden administration and a number of allies said last week that they would hold the Houthis responsible for the attacks, a warning that suggested the government may be considering retaliatory strikes on Houthi territory in Yemen, military officials said. Rather than back off, the Houthis appear to have stepped up their attacks. Context: So far, the U.S. has held back from hitting Houthi bases in Yemen, in large part to avoid undermining a fragile truce in Yemen's civil war. Pentagon officials have drawn up plans for striking bases in Yemen and facilities where boats used to attack ships appear to be moored, and London is also considering military action. In other news: The International Court of Justice, the U.N.'s highest judicial body, will begin hearings this week in a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said a missile from an Israeli drone hit an ambulances in central Gaza, killing six people. Israel did not comment. Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip "will not be returned alive" unless Israeli forces leave, a Hamas spokesman said. Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, met with Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, to discuss the role that it might play in Gaza when the conflict ebbs. Behind the scenes, Arab countries are building consensus about a "day after" scenario. Soldiers in a subway car in Quito, Ecuador, yesterday. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Ecuador imposed drastic measures to curb drug gangs A sense of dread has taken hold in Ecuador after the disappearance of two gang leaders on Monday set off shocking prison riots, police kidnappings and the on-air storming of a TV station. In what experts say are his most aggressive steps yet, the country's president, Daniel Noboa, has declared an "internal armed conflict" and directed the military to "neutralize" the country's two dozen gangs, which the government labeled "terrorist organizations." The unrest began with violence erupting in prisons across the nation, as soldiers surged into a penal compound after the disappearance of a powerful gang leader from his cell. Inmates took prison guards captive, and dozens of detainees escaped, including another prominent gang leader. Explosive violence soon spilled over into cities and towns, where drug gangs run rampant. Context: For two years, the country of nearly 18 million has been dominated by an increasingly powerful narco-trafficking industry. International drug cartels from as far away as Albania have joined forces with local prison and street gangs, unleashing a wave of violence unlike anything in the country's recent history. Homicide rates have soared to record levels. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and former Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor at a televised debate in Des Moines on Wednesday. Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times The race for second place is heating up in Iowa Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis — who are virtually tied for a distant second place in the Republican battle for the presidential nomination behind Donald Trump in national polls — took the stage in Iowa for a one-on-one debate. Read our commentary. Trump, choosing again to skip any event in which his front-runner status could be challenged in person, instead appeared in a town hall on Fox News. This week, he attacked Haley with the false claim that she is not eligible for the presidency because her Indian immigrant parents were not yet citizens when she was born in South Carolina. Trump court case: The former president backed down from delivering his own closing argument in his civil fraud trial after refusing to abide by a judge's restrictions. Chris Christie: The former governor of New Jersey and Trump critic, who has suspended his presidential campaign, was heard mocking Haley and DeSantis during a hot-mic moment. President Biden: Hunter Biden appeared at a hearing on Capitol Hill, as Republicans prepared for an impeachment inquiry against his father. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Around the World Farah Abdi Warsameh/Associated Press A U.N. helicopter carrying nine passengers was captured by the Al Shabab terrorist group. Two of the passengers escaped and one was killed. The man who last week stabbed South Korea's top opposition leader wanted to kill him in order to end his presidential bid, the police said. A prominent hard-line former minister in Poland announced that he was going on a hunger strike to protest his arrest following a conviction for abuse of power. Papua New Guinea ordered the military to restore order in the capital after a dispute over government wages led to angry protests, looting and unrest. Other Big Stories Erin Schaff/The New York Times A study found that parts of the Northern Hemisphere are warming enough that their prospects of future snow are rapidly declining. In a landmark moment for the cryptocurrency industry, U.S. regulators approved a new financial product that tracks the price of Bitcoin. With additional U.S. aid in doubt, European leaders face the prospect of having to fill the gap to maintain support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. A Microsoft lab in Beijing is one of the world's top A.I. research sites. As U.S.-China tensions mount, the company is not sure if the operation is politically tenable. What Else Is Happening The British Museum is seeking a new leader to manage the fallout from recent thefts and demands to return contested items. A decades-old fight over the direction of a prominent Hasidic Jewish group tipped into chaos, as one faction clashed with the police over a secret tunnel. Box office behemoths "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" led the nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Flooding has backed up Eton College's toilets and temporarily closed the famous British boarding school. A Morning Read Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari for The New York Times After decades of declining fatality rates, dangerous driving in the U.S. has surged again. Since the first lockdowns of 2020, drivers have been speeding more and plowing through intersections with an alarming frequency. Seatbelt use has declined, and arrests linked to intoxicated driving have rebounded to near historic highs. Lives Lived Amalija Knavs, a former Slovenian factory worker who became a U.S. citizen with help from one of her daughters, Melania Trump, has died at 78. SPORTS NEWS Roony Bardghji interview: FC Copenhagen's rising star. Copyright infringement: Why Manchester City are being sued by Superdry. Becoming the GOAT: How Novak Djokovic changed his game. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICA Election posters in South Africa.  João Silva/The New York Times A year of crucial elections By Lynsey Chutel Africans in at least 17 countries will cast ballots this year to choose a president or national legislature. Senegal and Ghana, two nations in West Africa that are enjoying stability in a region beset by coups, will hold elections. South Sudan, the youngest nation in the world, will also head to the polls in East Africa, while in southern Africa a new generation of voters will test the parties that led the continent's struggles for independence. Here's a look at the elections that will put democracy to the test in Africa. Can liberation movements survive? A new generation of voters will test liberation-era parties in South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Botswana. South Africa is the most closely watched contest. There, 30 years after Nelson Mandela became president, the governing African National Congress faces widespread discontent. Will a military junta hand over power? After successive coups, the ruling junta in Mali has promised to return power to a democratically elected government, but the generals in charge have already postponed the election scheduled for February, without announcing a new date. Will a strongman be victorious? In power since 2000, President Paul Kagame is once again vying to lead Rwanda. Human rights groups have accused him of abuses, but Kagame points to the country's relative economic successes since the genocide of 1994 as he cements his power. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Kerri Brewer for The New York Times Cook: This red curry chicken bakes on a sheet pan. Read: Cynthia Zarin's first novel, "Inverno," is a tale of a woman's incurable longing and haunted past. Brew: Make a full-bodied cup of coffee with a French press. Chill: The very things that make January dreary are what endears the month to its fans. Exercise: Your workout isn't complete without strength training. Watch: "Good Grief" is a wise, funny portrait about navigating life after loss. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha P.S. 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