Good morning. We're covering the latest from Syria and Russia, and a bumpy road for U.S. markets. Plus: The duality of Dominique Pelicot.
Al-Assad's former soldiers are lining up for the futureHundreds of soldiers and police officers who served under Bashar al-Assad heeded the call of Syria's new rulers to formally relinquish their ties to his ousted regime. More than 600 people showed up on Sunday when a so-called reconciliation center opened in the city of Latakia. Many more came throughout the day, hoping for a chance at amnesty. Temporary IDs were created, and photographs were taken. The men answered questions about what they had done while in al-Assad's service, and many handed in weapons. The rebel coalition has promised to hunt down senior officials implicated in the regime's crimes but to spare rank-and-file conscripted soldiers. It will be some time before any of the men who showed up on their own know their fate. The Times spoke to some of them as they waited in line. Watch here. Back to business: A Syrian Air flight from Damascus landed in Aleppo, becoming the first domestic flight since the Assad regime fell. A fragile truce: Battles between Kurdish and Turkish-backed fighters in northern Syria threatened to upend an already shaky cease-fire.
Markets plunged in the U.S.Stocks slumped and the U.S. dollar soared as the Federal Reserve dialed down expectations for interest rate cuts next year, given the continued strength of the U.S. economy. Fed officials yesterday made their third and final rate cut of the year, and they forecast two fewer rate reductions in 2025 than they had previously expected. The S&P 500 index dropped 3 percent, its biggest decline since the start of August, and the Dow Jones industrial average fell for a 10th straight day, its longest losing streak since October 1974. Here's the latest. Uncertain times: The U.S. economy is ending 2024 in arguably its most stable condition since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. But the sweeping policy changes proposed by President-elect Donald Trump have left the outlook as murky as ever. Related news:
Russia detained a man suspected of killing a generalThe Russian authorities said yesterday that they had detained a suspect in the killing of a senior military officer, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov. The general, who died in a bombing on Tuesday, was the target of the most prominent political assassination in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. The suspect is a 29-year-old citizen of Uzbekistan whose name was not released. He was captured in a village outside Moscow, a spokeswoman for the Russian prosecutor's office said. She said he had confessed that Ukrainian intelligence recruited him to kill Kirillov, who was in charge of the protection forces for the Russian military's nuclear and chemical weapons. Analysis: The assassination spread fear among Russia's military and political elites. It also eliminated a top military leader who, according to Ukraine, had ordered the use of banned chemical substances. But it won't do anything to help Ukraine's forces on the battlefield, who are steadily losing ground, my colleague Michael Schwirtz writes. Diplomacy: Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was in Brussels yesterday to meet with the head of NATO. He will address E.U. leaders during a summit today.
SPORTS NEWS
After months of testimony, judges and lawyers have tried to grasp the enigma that is Dominique Pelicot, who said he had invited dozens of strangers to join him in raping his drugged wife. Friends and family members described him as a dedicated grandfather, father and husband. But his therapists said he was perverse, incapable of empathy, addicted to sex and a person who saw others as objects to use or bend to his will. A verdict is expected this week. For more: On The Daily, our correspondent Catherine Porter talks about Pelicot's wife, Gisèle, who has become a feminist hero in France. CONVERSATION STARTERS
The year in picturesWounded Russian soldiers treated on the front lines. A presidential candidate narrowly avoiding assassination. Thousands of Syrians celebrating the end of a brutal regime. Times photographers captured extraordinary, history-making moments in extraordinary, history-making images. Look back at some of the most powerful and evocative shots to see the biggest stories of 2024 through our photographers' eyes. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times.
Cook: This miso-marinated pork roast tastes and smells like the holidays. Read: These books make great gifts. Learn: Apple's new photos app is confusing. We have some tips. Luxuriate: This poem is one of the best things that our critic read this year. 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.
|
-
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario