Thursday Briefing: A no-confidence vote in France

Plus, the assassination of a health-care C.E.O.

View in browser|nytimes.com December 5, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering a no-confidence vote in France and a manhunt in Manhattan. Plus: Tell us your most cherished holiday tradition. Prime Minister Michel Barnier of France after the no-confidence vote. Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters France's prime minister lost a no-confidence vote French lawmakers passed a no-confidence measure against Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his cabinet yesterday, deepening the political turmoil that has left the country without a clear path to a new budget and that threatens to further jolt financial markets. He is expected to resign. France's lower house of Parliament passed the measure with 331 votes, well above the majority of 288 votes that were required, after Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally joined moves by the chamber's leftist coalition to oust the government. It was the first successful no-confidence vote in France in over 60 years. President Emmanuel Macron, the nation's top leader, remains in power, but support for him is shaky, following his surprise decision last summer to call a snap parliamentary election. His party and its allies lost many seats to the far right and the left — competing forces that bitterly oppose him. Context: The vote comes at a difficult time for France, which is struggling with high debt and a widening deficit, challenges that have been compounded by two years of flat growth. Opposition parties jointly submitted the impeachment motion. Yonhap/EPA, via Shutterstock South Korea's president is facing an impeachment vote Members of South Korea's political opposition yesterday moved to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, after his abrupt declaration of martial law failed spectacularly. Several opposition parties, buoyed by thousands of protesters who took to the streets to denounce the president, jointly submitted the impeachment motion, which could be put to a vote as early as tomorrow. If the vote is successful, Yoon would be suspended from office and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would become the interim president. Yoon's fate would then go to the Constitutional Court, where the justices could uphold the impeachment and remove the president from office, or reject impeachment and reinstate him. Here's how the process could unfold. Collateral damage: Yoon's defense minister, chief of staff and other top aides tendered their resignations, South Korean news media reported. Yoon will address the nation today, according to an official familiar with his plans. Context: Yoon's surprise declaration of martial law on Tuesday was the first effort to impose military rule in South Korea in more than four decades. The audacious move was an attempt to break a government gridlock that has hobbled Yoon's nearly three years in power. The scene after Brian Thompson was shot outside a Manhattan hotel. Karsten Moran for The New York Times A health insurance C.E.O. was assassinated in Manhattan A manhunt was underway last night after a gunman shot dead Brian Thompson, an executive at Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare, yesterday morning outside a Manhattan hotel, in what the police called a "brazen targeted attack." The attacker waited for Thompson, New York City's police commissioner said, ignoring other passers-by and then shot him in the back and leg. Investigators said the gunman fled the scene using an electric bike and was spotted later in nearby Central Park. Surveillance images released by the police appeared to show a white man in a dark hooded coat with a dark mask covering his mouth and nose. Background: A law enforcement official said that Thompson had recently received several threats and that the police were investigating their source and exact nature. Share your most cherished holiday tradition For many of us, the holidays are full of traditions. Which ones are you most looking forward to this year? Maybe the tradition is something your family or friends have been doing for decades or a more recent creation that you can't wait to repeat. Either way, we'd love to know. To share your thoughts, fill out this form. We may use your response in an upcoming newsletter. We won't publish your submission without contacting you first. MORE TOP NEWS Avishag Shaar-Yashuv for The New York Times Gaza: Six Israeli hostages found dead this summer were probably shot in February by their captors as an Israeli strike hit near where they were being held, the Israeli military said. Cryptocurrency: The price of a single Bitcoin surpassed $100,000 for the first time. U.S. politics: A small but pivotal group of Republican senators expressed concern yesterday about Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be defense secretary. Georgia: Security agents arrested and dragged away a leading member of the country's political opposition, as the country plunged deeper into political crisis. Syria: Resurgent rebels may have crippled efforts by the U.S. and Gulf countries to weaken President Bashar al-Assad's alliance with Iran. Iran: Prosecutors will allow Narges Mohammadi, the jailed activist and Nobel laureate, to leave prison for 21 days to recover from surgery, her foundation said. Media: Journalists at the Guardian and the Observer newspapers in Britain began a 48-hour strike over plans to sell The Observer to a digital media start-up. Business: The annual DealBook summit commenced in Manhattan with some of the biggest newsmakers in business and global politics. Follow here for live updates. Technology: A new Google A.I. tool has achieved what its makers call unmatched skill and speed in devising 15-day weather forecasts. Fashion: Alex Consani was named Model of the Year at the annual Fashion Awards in London, becoming the first transgender woman to receive the honor. Paleontology: A study analyzing the ancient bones of a young child suggests that early Americans hunted mammoths and other giant mammals to oblivion. SPORTS NEWS FIFA: The organization secured a $1 billion broadcast deal with the streaming company DAZN, after other networks balked at FIFA's demands. Sumo: The Grand Sumo Tournament, the sport's top tier, will bring some of the world's best wrestlers to London in October for the circuit's first event in Britain since 1991. Tennis: Novak Djokovic will start his 2025 tennis season in Brisbane, Australia, without his new coach, Andy Murray. Basketball: Who will win the N.B.A. Cup? Predicting the knockout rounds and beyond. MORNING READ Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times In Ukraine, they are known as the "Executed Renaissance" — the generation of writers, poets and directors whose lives were snuffed out by Stalin's brutal purges in the 1930s. Their legacy was nearly erased, until now. Russia's invasion has brought new relevance to these artists, as many Ukrainians seek to reclaim their cultural heritage. They view the fate of the movement as a warning of what could happen if Ukraine loses: yet another silencing of their culture. Lives lived: Debbie Nelson, the rapper Eminem's mother and the subject of some of his early hits, has died at 69. CONVERSATION STARTERS 'Splitting the G': Guinness, once synonymous with vintage Irish pubs and older drinkers, is having a moment. Lesbian pulp fiction: Paperbacks half a century old offer today's readers a portal to an early era of furtive queer expression. His real job: Kieran Culkin could rule Oscar season with his film "A Real Pain." He'd rather stay at home being a dad. ARTS AND IDEAS David Parry/Press Association, via Associated Press The winner of the Turner Prize This year's Turner Prize, the prestigious British art award, was awarded to Jasleen Kaur, an artist whose recent installation work focuses on her childhood growing up in a Sikh community in Scotland. A small but noisy pro-Palestinian protest took place outside Tate Britain, the art museum in London where the prize ceremony was held, and Kaur, on accepting the award, called for Tate to end ties with Israel. "It's not a radical demand — this should not risk an artist's career or safety," she said, adding: "Free Palestine." Since the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, many artists have signed letters calling Israel's retaliation in Gaza a genocide, while Jewish and Israeli donors have often felt threatened by the level of vitriol directed toward them. Read more about the art world's struggles to manage the polarized views around the war. 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 Bake: Lemon bars are a childhood classic. A little olive oil and sea salt helps them grow up. Listen: Here are our critics' picks for the best jazz albums of the year. Watch: "Mystery Cuddlers" is a new animated series perfect for fans of "Adventure Time." Recuperate: Figuring out why you're so tired can require a little detective work. 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. 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