Monday Briefing: How will the rebels rule Syria?

Plus, a political vacuum in South Korea

View in browser|nytimes.com December 16, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering the rebels who intend to govern Syria and tensions between Israel and Ireland. Plus: The rise of the noodle boy. A rebel fighter last week at a facility once run by Syrian Military Intelligence Branch 215, which was notorious for torture and killings. Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times How will the rebels rule Syria? Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist rebel movement that just spearheaded the overthrow of the Assad dynasty in Syria, has roots in the Islamic State and Al Qaeda. But since around 2016, the group has modified and moderated its own jihadist orientation. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has run much of the opposition-held province of Idlib since 2017, accomplishing a certain level of stability and discipline. It maintained a robust internal security force to confront other military factions and domestic critics, prompting regular protests against harsh jail conditions and what were seen as authoritarian methods. The primary question is whether these rebels, who are now trying to form a national government, can scale up what they achieved in Idlib, which is poor and agrarian with a relatively small population. Read more about what we know about their approach to governance. The U.S. has been in direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday — the first official confirmation that Washington was communicating with the group, despite having labeled it a terrorist organization. Strikes: Israel struck Syria 75 times in attacks that began Saturday night on military sites near the capital, Damascus, and the cities of Hama and Homs, a group monitoring the conflict said. On the ground: "It is from God that we are back in our land." Read our correspondent's dispatch from Tel Rifaat in northwestern Syria, where people are returning home after years of displacement. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar of Israel, who was appointed last month, is pursuing a more muscular diplomatic policy. Martin Divisek/EPA, via Shutterstock Israel will close its embassy in Ireland Israel will shutter its embassy in Dublin, the country's foreign minister said yesterday, after Ireland said it would file an intervention in support of South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, a charge Israel vehemently rejects. "Ireland has crossed every red line in its relations with Israel," Gideon Saar, the Israeli foreign minister, said in a statement. The relationship has been rocky for months. Israel recalled its ambassador to Ireland in May, as well as its ambassadors to Spain and Norway, after each of the three countries recognized a Palestinian state. Israeli officials said that closing the embassy did not mean Israel was severing diplomatic relations with Ireland. Officials from both countries noted that Ireland's embassy in Tel Aviv would continue to function. In Gaza: Israel's military said it carried out strikes and raids against Hamas targets in northern Gaza yesterday. More than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, according to the local health authorities. Protesters outside the National Assembly in Seoul on Saturday celebrated the president's impeachment. Jun Michael Park for The New York Times South Korea has no elected leader South Korea's National Assembly impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday, leaving the nation without a strong​ elected leader to tackle challenges like a belligerent North Korea and deepening political polarization at home.​ Here's what to know about the impeachment. ​Outside the legislature, people danced in the streets, celebrating Yoon's suspension from office over his short-lived declaration of martial law as proof of the resilience of South Korean democracy. But the impeachment created a political vacuum at the top — the unelected prime minister is temporarily in charge — and a new government cannot be born until the Constitutional Court decides whether to reinstate Yoon or formally oust him. MORE TOP NEWS Irakli Gedenidze/Reuters Georgia: Lawmakers handed the presidency to Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former soccer star turned far-right politician, deepening the country's political turmoil after weeks of protests and a disputed parliamentary election. Litigation: ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by President-elect Donald Trump. He and his allies have discussed subpoenaing news organizations and prosecuting journalists and their sources. Mozambique: Tropical Cyclone Chido made landfall yesterday after causing death and destruction in a French archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Burkina Faso: A strategy to bolster the military by recruiting poorly trained civilians into armed militias has brought the country to the brink of civil war. Ukraine: Using diplomacy, flattery and the occasional shot in the dark, officials are doing everything they can to win over Trump. Bolivia: A rupture within the long-dominant Movement for Socialism party has paralyzed the country. SPORTS NEWS Soccer: Gary O'Neil has been sacked as the head coach of the Wolverhampton Wanderers. Tennis: Arthur Fils will face Jakub Mensik in the Jeddah ATP Next Gen Finals. N.F.L.: How a former offensive guard became a viral woodworking sensation. MORNING READ Devin Oktar Yalkin for The New York Times The guidebook writer Rick Steves experienced transformational travel when he was in his 20s. He has been helping people to get the most out of their trips ever since. Steves is 69 now, and his upcoming book, "On the Hippie Trail" (a collection of resurfaced journal entries), chronicles a journey he took from Istanbul to Kathmandu in 1978. Read our interview with him. Lives lived: Lorraine O'Grady, a conceptual artist who influenced a generation of Black artists, died on Friday at 90. CONVERSATION STARTERS Going in nose-blind: Would you buy a perfume you had never smelled? Hot rock: Selena Gomez's marquise diamond engagement ring has people talking. Strike a pose: Phones are fueling violence at schools, as students record and share videos of fights. ARTS AND IDEAS From left: Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times; Sebastien Nogier/EPA, via Shutterstock; Simbarashe Cha/The New York Times The rise of the noodle boy The hunk is dead. Well, not quite — but there is a growing appetite for male stars who look a little awkward and, most of all, vulnerable, even in an era of macho politics. Think Timothée Chalamet, Mark Eydelshteyn or Dominic Sessa, above, all of whom embody a slinky alternative image of white masculinity in American pop culture. Jacob Gallagher, a Times reporter covering fashion and style, explains why. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Christopher Testani for The New York Times Cook: Marinate this salmon in lemon juice, soy sauce and herbs. Reflect: We're asking readers: What song explains your 2024? Why did it resonate with you? Read: Take stock of the past through the lens of these new historical novels. Sparkle: A nail artist shares a design you can recreate at home. 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 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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