Good morning. We're covering Germany's political turmoil and an address from Syria's new leader. Plus: The year's breakout stars.
Germany's government was dissolvedThe German government collapsed as Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote in Parliament, deepening a crisis of leadership across Europe at a time of mounting economic and security challenges, including the war in Ukraine. The vote to dissolve the government, which passed 394 to 207, with 116 abstentions, leaves Europe's largest economy in the hands of a caretaker government ahead of elections early next year. Scholz had little choice but to call for the confidence vote after his three-party coalition splintered last month, leaving him without a parliamentary majority to pass laws or a budget. Elections are now expected to be held on Feb. 23, in what would be only the fourth snap vote in modern German history. Looking ahead: Seven parties will enter the campaign for Parliament with a realistic chance of gaining seats. The conservative Christian Democratic Union is poised to win the most, but some parties on the political fringes — especially on the right — are likely to have strong showings, according to polls. Here's what else to know.
Syria's new leader called for sanctions to be liftedAhmed al-Shara, the leader of the rebel coalition now ruling Syria, called on states like the U.S. to stop treating his organization as a terrorist group and to lift sanctions imposed on Syria so it can rebuild. Here's the latest. In a public statement, al-Shara called for ending the sanctions that had been placed on the now-ousted Assad regime; cautiously criticized Israel's incursions into Syrian territory; and said the top priority of his organization, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, was to create a state and public institutions that serve all Syrians. "Syria is tired of wars, and we want to build a state and institutions away from conflicts," he said. Given the conditions in Syria after 13 years of civil war, it is not logistically ready to hold elections, he added. Bashar al-Assad: In a statement posted on social media, the ousted president said he had wanted to stay in Damascus and fight, but that Russia had evacuated him after rebel forces infiltrated the capital. Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, has not commented on the changes in Syria, and he made it clear yesterday that winning in Ukraine was his main concern. Related:
Trump's first post-election news conferenceIn his first news conference since the election, President-elect Donald Trump cited debunked data linking vaccines and autism, vowed to slash taxes and resume construction of his border wall and accused the Biden administration of hiding the truth about recent drone sightings. Trump also announced a $100 billion investment from SoftBank, a Japanese technology company, in U.S. projects. Separately, a judge rejected Trump's argument that a Supreme Court ruling had nullified his criminal case in New York, upholding his felony conviction for falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal. If Trump's appeal fails, he will be the first felon to serve as president. Quotable: "The first term, everybody was fighting me," the president-elect said. "In this term, everybody wants to be my friend." Context: As he returns to power, Trump remains one of the most divisive figures in American political life. He has pledged to shatter norms, impose tariffs, bring legal charges against journalists and slash government spending. In other U.S. political news:
The actor and ballet luminary Mikhail Baryshnikov left the Soviet Union 50 years ago. Ever since, he has used his fame to bring attention to difficult, esoteric art. "I fall in love with artists," he said. "Sometimes I don't even know it. I feel deep sympathy. It's like how the French say une amitié amoureuse — it's a loving friendship." Read our profile. Lives lived: Zakir Hussain, the Indian percussionist and composer whose work forged global musical hybrids, died. He was 73.
Tell us about your holiday traditionsWith the holidays on the horizon, we're asking readers: What's the tradition you're most looking forward to this year? Perhaps it's something your family or friends have been doing for decades, or a more recent tradition you can't wait to repeat. Tell us about it by filling out this form. We may feature your response in an upcoming newsletter.
The breakout stars of 2024They were audacious and original. They pushed boundaries and made bold choices. The 10 artists we've named as this year's breakout stars shook up their scenes — and resonated with fans. Our list includes Chappell Roan, who has become a pop phenomenon (or "Femininomenon"); Richard Gadd for his award-winning Netflix show "Baby Reindeer"; and Mikey Madison, who appeared in the movie "Anora." Read more. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times.
Bake: This crème brûlée is family size and fun. Celebrate: Delight the dads in your life with these gifts. Dress: Our fashion critic explored whether it's ever OK to go barefoot in public. Listen: Read our reviews of the latest holiday albums. Compete: Take this week's Flashback history quiz. 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.
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