Thursday Briefing: A challenge for Syria’s new rebel leaders

Plus, the objectification of a murder suspect

View in browser|nytimes.com December 12, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering the latest from Syria and a call for a confidence vote in Germany. Plus: The objectification of a murder suspect. In Damascus, Syria, yesterday. Nicole Tung for The New York Times Syria's rebel leaders face huge challenges The rebels who seized control of Syria must strike a balance between obtaining justice for the victims of atrocities committed under the ousted Assad regime and preventing the newly liberated country from descending into unchecked vengeance. Syria's new leaders have promised amnesty for conscripted soldiers who served under the former president, Bashar al-Assad, but Ahmed al-Shara, the leader of the rebel force that toppled him, has stressed that those who helped al-Assad brutalize or slaughter others would be held accountable. "We call on nations to hand over to us whoever of those criminals has escaped to them to subject them to justice," he said in a post on Telegram. In Aleppo, the many monuments of the Assad regime that once dotted the city have been toppled, torn or burned. Excitement and frenzy were on full display in some places — yet the city was still gripped by uncertainty and grim reminders of the 13-year civil war. For more: For over a decade, tens of thousands of people in Syria were tortured and killed in al-Assad's vast network of prisons. After he fell, thousands of people searched Sednaya, a notorious prison, for loved ones. My colleagues went inside. Kurdish-led fighters backed by the U.S. said that they had agreed to a U.S.-brokered cease-fire in the city of Manbij in northern Syria, where they have been battling forces backed by Turkey. President Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel today. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Turkey and Jordan this week to discuss the developments in Syria. Christopher Wray, the F.B.I. director. Kenny Holston/The New York Times The F.B.I. director said he intended to resign Christopher Wray, the F.B.I. director, said he would step down in January. The decision comes after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to replace Wray with a longtime loyalist, Kash Patel, before the director's 10-year term expired. Wray's F.B.I. repeatedly investigated Trump, which included a search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022 for classified documents. "I'm very unhappy with the things he's done," Trump said in an interview broadcast Sunday. Hegseth controversy: Senator Susan Collins of Maine met with Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick for defense secretary, and pressed him on a range of issues, including the sexual assault allegations against him and the role of women in the military. She has not made a decision on supporting him yet. More on the transition: Trump selected Andrew Ferguson, a current Republican member of the Federal Trade Commission, to be its chair, and picked Mark Meador, a former Senate Republican antitrust counsel, to join the agency. The moves effectively squeezed out the current Democratic chair, Lina Khan. Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany with his cabinet yesterday. Clemens Bilan/EPA, via Shutterstock Scholz called for a confidence vote Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany called for a confidence vote in Parliament yesterday, taking the first formal step toward disbanding the German government and leading to snap elections that are likely to oust him from office. He expects to lose the vote. The collapse of the government and the early election on Feb. 23 amount to an extraordinary political moment in a country long known for stable governments. Quotable: "In a democracy, it is the voters who determine the course of future politics. When they go to the polls, they decide how we will answer the big questions that lie ahead of us," Scholz said. MORE TOP NEWS Ivor Prickett for The New York Times Sudan: Even amid devastating war and famine, the country's gold trade is booming, as warring factions seek to bankroll their fight. South Korea: President Yoon Suk Yeol defended his attempt to put the country under martial law last week, vowing to "fight" despite a push to impeach him and calls for his resignation. Migration: The immigration surge in the U.S. over the past few years has been the largest in the country's history, a Times analysis found. Britain: The government said it would ban the use of puberty blockers for people under 18 except in clinical trials. Royals: A meeting between President-elect Donald Trump and Prince William showed Britain's hope that the Windsors could help safeguard relations with Washington. China: A feminist comedy, which touches on gender inequality and calls out stigmas against female sexuality, is unexpectedly ruling the box office. Romania: How did an ultranationalist managed to rally so much support in his bid to become the country's president? Media: A judge said he would not approve the sale of Infowars, the website founded by the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, to the satirical publication The Onion. U.S.: A bipartisan group of lawmakers is seeking legislation that would break up health care conglomerates like UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health and Cigna. Tech: Google introduced an A.I. that can browse spreadsheets, shopping sites and other services all by itself. Health: New A.D.H.D. diagnoses are surging among older Americans. Many say they are relieved to finally have an explanation after decades of struggle. SPORTS NEWS Cycling: The two-time Australian Olympic medalist Rohan Dennis has pleaded guilty to a charge related to the death of his wife and fellow Olympian, Melissa Hoskins. Tennis: A plan to triple Wimbledon's size could be set for judicial review after a resident group challenged the expansion. Olympics: The breaker known as B-girl Raygun shut down a parody musical in Sydney, Australia, inspired by her unusual performance at the Paris Games. Soccer: Why FIFA's awarding of the World Cup to Saudi Arabia is so controversial. MORNING READ Matthew Hiller As Elon Musk has become a key player in President-elect Donald Trump's world, Tesla owners are using bumper stickers on their cars to signify where they stand — for or against. Lives lived: George Kresge, who as the entertainer the Amazing Kreskin used mentalist tricks to dazzle late-night television audiences, died this week at 89. CONVERSATION STARTERS Ain't no mountain high enough: Two orphaned tiger cubs were raised together, but released separately. One walked 120 miles so they would be reunited. Pork products: Why two pounds of bacon are fried offstage during every performance of this Broadway play. Making corduroy cool: High-fashion interpretations of this fabric of academics, journalists and weirdos. ARTS AND IDEAS Jeff Swensen/Getty Images Objectifying the accused From the moment the world saw the smiling, unmasked face of the young man who was the suspect in the killing of a health care C.E.O., memes began spreading about his looks. The pictures of Luigi Mangione that have followed — mug shots, pictures from outside the courthouse or from earlier times — have led to still more swooning and fan cams. (Here's the latest news on the case.) There is a long history of romanticization of the beautiful and the incarcerated, our chief fashion critic Vanessa Friedman writes — a phenomenon exacerbated by social media. But "in all the hoo-ha over hotness," she writes, "what gets lost is the violence, as well as the victims." Read Vanessa's piece. Related: Mangione's Instagram was taken down, but his Goodreads was not. Here's how different social media companies decide whether to scrub a user's digital footprint. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS David Malosh for The New York Times Cook: One reviewer describes this vegetarian dish as "one of the best pasta dishes we have ever had." Craft: These Danish handmade paper decorations bring holiday cheer. Watch: The documentary "The Bibi Files" tackles the corruption case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. Plan: See New York City during the holidays like a local. Read: Experts shared their recommendations for books on adult A.D.H.D. 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. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018