Friday Briefing: A growing breach between Israel and the U.S.

Plus, Ukrainian strikes on Russia.

View in browser|nytimes.com May 10, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering a widening rift between Israel and the U.S., and Ukrainian strikes on Russia. Plus: What loneliness does to the brain. Israeli military vehicles near the border with Gaza. Abir Sultan/EPA, via Shutterstock Breach grows between Israel and the U.S. As a rift between two longstanding allies widens, Israeli leaders said that they would not be deterred by President Biden's threat to withhold arms shipments if the military launched a full-scale invasion of Rafah, where about a million Palestinians are sheltering. An Israeli military spokesman said his nation had enough munitions on hand to proceed with its plans. High-level talks in Cairo aimed at reaching a cease-fire and a hostage deal were put on hold, according to officials, who said that anger had flared among participants over Israel's seizure of the Rafah border crossing. Midlevel Egyptian, Qatari and U.S. officials remained in Cairo, but the Hamas and Israeli delegations both left yesterday, Hamas and Israeli officials said. Analysis: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel faces a bind, as he is increasingly caught between international calls for a cease-fire and right-wing Israeli demands to proceed with the invasion. Quotable: Netanyahu, while not responding directly to Biden, also struck a defiant tone. "If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone," he said. In other news: Satellite images of Rafah, taken after Israeli forces had entered the city, show widespread damage and clusters of Israeli armored vehicles. Amid a 45-day shutdown order by Israel, Al Jazeera said it would continue reporting and broadcasting from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The network has played a major role in amplifying stories of suffering in Gaza, heightening global outrage at Israel's conduct. An image provided by the governor of the Kursk region of Russia is said to show firefighters battling a blaze at an oil depot in February.  Government of Kursk, Russia, Agence France-Presse, via Telegram Ukraine struck deep in Russia Ukraine struck two oil depots and a refinery across Russia in a 24-hour period, including one more than 700 miles (over 1,100 kilometers) from the border, officials on both sides said yesterday, as Kyiv works to weaken Russia's military and its energy industry. The strikes follow about 20 similar attacks since the beginning of the year. Military analysts say Kyiv hopes to disrupt Russia's military logistics by targeting the facilities that supply fuel for its tanks, ships and planes, and to undermine Russia's energy industry, which is central to its economy. Impact: An energy expert in Belgium said the strikes had taken more than 10 percent of Russia's oil-refining capacity off line, temporarily reducing its ability to turn its crude oil into products like gasoline and diesel. Victory Day: This year's celebration in Russia was more expansive than last year's event, a sign of a country that has recovered from the initial shock of the war and holds a battlefield advantage. Stormy Daniels leaving court after testifying Thursday. Charly Triballeau/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A tense day in court for Stormy Daniels Lawyers for Donald Trump again sought to make the porn star Stormy Daniels look as if she was lying yesterday about her account of a 2006 sexual liaison with the former president. But Daniels — who took the $130,000 hush-money payment at the heart of the 34 felony charges Trump is facing — pushed back in a combative cross-examination. The defense again asked for a mistrial, arguing that Daniels's testimony was prejudicial. The judge denied the request. Here are takeaways. A Daniels-Trump recap: They met in July 2006, but their lives intersected over the next decade and beyond. Here's a breakdown of the timeline. ADVERTISEMENT MORE TOP NEWS Jerome Delay/Associated Press South Africa: Rescuers were looking through tons of concrete rubble for dozens of people who were missing after the collapse of a building on Monday. Mexico: Officials are trying to plan for a potential shift in U.S. relations if Donald Trump returns to power in 2025. Boeing: At least 10 people were injured when a plane went off the runway in Senegal. Chad: The military ruler, President Mahamat Idriss Déby, was declared the winner of a highly scripted presidential election. Climate: At a private meeting, Donald Trump told oil executives and lobbyists to donate $1 billion to his campaign because, if elected, he would roll back environmental rules. Campus protests: The University of Southern California's academic senate voted to censure the institution's president and endorsed calls for an investigation into the administration's actions. iPad ad: Apple's head of advertising apologized for a commercial that showed the crushing of a trumpet, a piano, paints and a sculpture. Nazi loot: Three different families say they own a 1917 Egon Schiele drawing. Now, a judge must decide. Europe Hungary: Xi Jinping, China's leader, received a rapturous welcome as the European nation looks to Chinese investment to establish itself as a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles. Britain: The Bank of England left interest rates steady as inflation eased but signaled that it could cut them soon. "Irish heiress": An American woman who swindled people out of huge sums will most likely be extradited to Northern Ireland to face charges of theft and fraud. Milan: The Italian city's authorities embarked on plans to promote it as a buzzy fashion and design destination. Was the resulting noise and overcrowding what they had in mind? MORNING READ Natalie Keyssar for The New York Times Majid Khan, a former courier for Al Qaeda, spent two decades in Guantánamo Bay and was tortured in C.I.A. custody. In the year since his release, he has reunited with his wife, met his daughter and had a son. They now live in Belize. He sees the next chapter of his life as an opportunity to make things right. He was hurt, he said, and did things that hurt others. "May God forgive," he said. (For more, the latest season of the "Serial" podcast is about Guantánamo.) Lives lived: Bernard Pivot, a French television host whose weekly book chat program drew millions of viewers, died on Monday at 89. CONVERSATION STARTERS New friends: Our tech columnist hung out with some A.I. companions. This is what he learned. The Mamas & the Papas: In life, the singer Cass Elliot was known for her charisma and her voice. In death, a cartoonish myth about her demise has overshadowed her legacy. World's best boss: What happens to a company — and the economy — when a C.E.O. refuses to retire? ADVERTISEMENT SPORTS NEWS Soccer's 50 most valuable clubs: What the list says about the global state of the sport. Italian Open 2024: A magical city and a wide-open men's tennis draw. Fencing: Suspensions and accusations over refereeing integrity and preferential treatment have cast a shadow over the sport ahead of the Olympics. PGA Tour policy board: Rory McIlroy will not be rejoining. ARTS AND IDEAS Jialun Deng A lonely brain Everyone feels lonely from time to time. But for some people, loneliness becomes entrenched in a way that's bad for their health. Chronic loneliness can even change people's brains. Chronic loneliness is associated neurologically with changes in areas important for social cognition, self-awareness and processing emotions. Scientists have long known about a connection between loneliness and Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. Recent research has suggested an association with Parkinson's disease. It is also linked to depression. What you can do: One common recommendation is a little obvious: Try to make new friends. Whether that's through art classes, sports teams or volunteer opportunities, the goal is to put yourself among other people. Cognitive behavior therapy can also help address the root problem for why it might be hard for you to interact with others. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Vaughn Vreeland/The New York Times Bake: Our classic carrot cake is gently spiced and generously frosted. Hunt: Which home in France did a retired U.S. teacher with a $300,000 budget buy? Learn: Take this quiz to see if you can tell which dog breeds are more inbred than others. Read: Work your way through Judi Dench's bookshelf. Lift: If you want to get stronger, routine is the enemy. 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 next week. — Natasha You can reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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