Tuesday Briefing: The U.N. calls for a cease-fire in Gaza

Apple embraces A.I. and how modular construction can create more housing

View in browser|nytimes.com June 11, 2024 By Daniel E. Slotnik Good morning. We're covering a U.N. Security Council cease-fire resolution for Gaza and Apple's embrace of A.I. Plus: It's been 25 years since "Hannibal" became a blockbuster. Antony Blinken arrived in Israel yesterday. Pool photo by Jack Guez The U.N. adopted a U.S.-backed cease-fire resolution The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution, brought by the U.S., to call for an immediate truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The move was a sign of the growing frustration with the war among the world's major powers and their desire to end it. Fourteen of the 15 council members voted in favor, with Russia — which has veto power — abstaining. In passing the resolution, the council delivered a diplomatic victory to the U.S., which had vetoed three previous cease-fire resolutions. The Council's proposal was based on a three-phase cease-fire plan laid out by President Biden in May. More than two weeks have passed since Israel presented the deal to Hamas through intermediaries, but Israel's government has not formally embraced it. On Monday, Hamas said that it welcomed elements of the resolution but did not endorse the plan as a whole. "Hamas emphasizes its readiness to cooperate with the mediators to engage in indirect negotiations," the group said in a statement. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in the region to press for a cease-fire, met yesterday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. Israel's hostage mission: The Israeli military said that two teams of commandos had simultaneously stormed two homes to rescue four hostages being held by Hamas militants. Later, the truck that three hostages and a wounded Israeli officer were using to evacuate broke down and was surrounded by militants. The air force began striking dozens of targets nearby to give the hostages time to escape, the military said. Gazans described an intense bombardment during the raid that led to the deaths of scores of Palestinians. "The whole hospital became one giant emergency room," a doctor in Gaza said. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, after the vote. John Thys/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The right gained in Europe, but the center held Right-wing parties gained in European parliamentary elections, especially in Germany and France, and often at the expense of liberal and progressive parties. But Europe's mainstream conservatives, the European People's Party, finished first, even adding a few seats, according to provisional results. It was a sign that the party's strategy of integrating more right-leaning policies in order to stop voters from shifting to further-right rivals had delivered. Here are the most important trends that emerged from the elections. The Greens: They were the biggest losers, giving up a quarter of their seats after emerging as an important progressive power in Parliament. AfD: The far-right German party won a record 16 percent of the vote, despite a domestic intelligence agency's suspicions that it is an "extremist" group. Its two top candidates were prohibited from campaigning after a series of public scandals. France: Analysts are still parsing President Emmanuel Macron's move to call for snap elections after a bruising loss. The decision could be a way to prevent his opposition from organizing — and to present voters with a stark choice between him and the far right. Apple's new system will result in a major upgrade for Siri, its virtual assistant. George Etheredge for The New York Times Apple jumped into the A.I. fray Apple announced plans to bring generative A.I. to more than a billion iPhone users around the world, representing the technology's next step into the consumer mainstream. Yesterday, the company revealed that it would be using generative A.I. to power what it is calling Apple Intelligence. The company emphasized it was planning to integrate the technology with privacy in mind. The system will prioritize messages and notifications and offer writing tools that can proofread text and provide suggestions. It will also result in a major upgrade for Siri, the voice assistant that has languished. Apple struck a deal with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, to support some of its A.I. capabilities. The deal was another indication that OpenAI, which already has a close partnership with Apple's competitor Microsoft, has become the leading developer of A.I. technology. MORE TOP NEWS Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times Ukraine: An official involved in Western-financed reconstruction work resigned, citing poor management of funds. His departure was a blow to Kyiv's efforts to assuage allies' concerns about how aid is spent. Russia: A small group of women were freed from prison in May to serve in Ukraine, possibly signaling a new phase in the Kremlin's use of criminals in the war, two former inmates said. Hunter Biden: The jury began deliberating on a verdict in his gun trial. Biden did not take the witness stand. U.S.: President Biden is considering a plan to protect undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation and to allow them to work legally. Climate: A major environmental group will finance research into artificially cooling the earth, a once radical idea that is quickly gaining attention. Malawi: A search was underway for an aircraft that went missing yesterday morning with the African country's vice president onboard. MORNING READ Amir Hamja/The New York Times The U.S. once looked to modular construction as an efficient way to build lots of housing quickly. The idea made little impact in the U.S. But the practice radically influenced countries like Japan and Sweden, which are now leaders in industrialized home building. In this video, the Times contributor Francesca Mari breaks down the process of building a home in 30 minutes with a tour of a Swedish factory. CONVERSATION STARTERS Americans flock to New Zealand: Some expats, who no longer want to deal with the U.S. political divide, don't regret moving. Speaking elephant: Scientists used A.I. to analyze pachyderm rumbles and found evidence that they may use individual names. A crisis at sea: Commercial fishing is dangerous. The opioid epidemic made it worse. SPORTS NEWS The Radar: The Athletic's Euro 2024 scouting guide. Free agents: Which Premier League players are available this summer? Canadian Grand Prix: The key takeaways from a weekend of racing in Montreal. ARTS AND IDEAS Antonio Olmos/Guardian, via eyevine and Redux 25 years ago, 'Hannibal' was a new kind of blockbuster book "The Silence of the Lambs," published in 1988, introduced millions of readers to the murderous psychiatrist and gourmand Hannibal Lecter. Three years later, the book became a movie, which won five Academy Awards and left fans desperate for a sequel. But Thomas Harris, the author, all but vanished into his slow and methodical writing. Finally, in 1999, he published "Hannibal." The release kicked off a book-business frenzy: Fans cleared their calendars, retailers readied their shelves and critics sharpened their knives. It was also one of the first big publications of the hyper-speed, hyper-opinionated internet era. The hype fanned the flames and helped immortalize the character. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Linda Xiao for The New York Times Cook: In this one-dish recipe, charred peppers pair with garlicky beans and greens. Watch: In "Tuesday," a drama about grief and motherhood, Julia Louis-Dreyfus tries to parent her dying daughter. Clean: You should probably change your sheets once a week. Connect: Take our quiz on friendship style and then text (yes, text) a friend. 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. Thank you for spending part of your morning with us, and see you tomorrow. — Dan You can reach Dan 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. 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