Monday Briefing: Fighting the fires in Los Angeles

At least 24 people have died.

View in browser|nytimes.com January 13, 2025 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering the latest from the wildfires in Los Angeles and cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas. Plus: How militants devastated paradise. Covering a utility pole with a fire-retardant foam, near Los Angeles. Mark Abramson for The New York Times Firefighters made progress in Los Angeles Racing against more strong winds expected soon, firefighters in Los Angeles made progress yesterday in battling the area's wildfires, which have killed at least 24 people and destroyed entire neighborhoods from the inland hills to the Pacific Coast. At least 16 other people have been reported missing. Read about the victims. Another round of the strong Santa Ana winds that have propelled the fires is expected to develop today and Tuesday, and the shifting winds and complex topography make it hard to predict the fire's path, experts said. See maps of the fire. Crews have contained 11 percent of the 23,700-acre Palisades fire and 27 percent of the 14,000-acre Eaton fire in the San Gabriel Mountains, according to Cal Fire. More than 150,000 residents are still under evacuation orders, and tens of thousands more have been warned they may have to evacuate. Here's the latest. Origins: While it remained unclear what started the fires, the University of California San Diego said its camera network caught the first plumes coming from the Palisades fire on the morning of Jan. 7. Power lines near the Eaton and Palisades fires were on when those blazes started and may have played a role. Here's what else to know: President-elect Donald Trump called officials in charge of fighting the Los Angeles fires "incompetent." He has not publicly responded to invitations from Gov. Gavin Newsom and other officials to visit the area. The combined area burned by the past week's fires — nearly 40,000 acres, according to Los Angeles County officials — is larger than each of the city limits of San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Boston or Miami. "Will pay any amount": Private fire crews, most of whom work through government contracts or with insurance companies, are in demand among some wealthy property owners. A demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday.  Amir Levy/Getty Images Israeli security chiefs joined cease-fire talks Israeli security chiefs arrived in Qatar for talks about a cease-fire deal that could see hostages released before President Biden leaves office. Lower-level negotiations have been underway in recent weeks after months of deadlock. While some progress has been made, disagreements remain on several key points, including the timing and extent of Israel's redeployments and withdrawal from Gaza and the permanency of any cease-fire, according to people familiar with the matter. From the region: Thousands of Syrians now live in areas at least partly controlled by Israeli forces. Some Syrians fear that the Israeli presence could become a prolonged military occupation. Syrians want justice for victims of the Assad regime. Human rights groups in exile began laying the groundwork more than a decade ago. In a visit to Syria, Najib Mikati, the Lebanese prime minister, called for finding a way to enable masses of Syrian refugees in his country to head home. A Ukrainian military vehicle along the Russian border in the Kursk region. Finbarr O'Reilly for The New York Times North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the capture of two wounded North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region of western Russia, saying they were the first to be taken alive since Pyongyang sent troops to assist Moscow's war effort. More than a snapshot: An image depicting a famous 19th-century painting of Cossacks, with current Ukrainian soldiers standing in for the warriors, has struck a chord as Kyiv battles to assert its identity. MORE TOP NEWS John Raoux/Associated Press Space: A rocket built by Blue Origin, the rocket company started by Jeff Bezos, may head to space for the first time. South Korea: The flight recorder stopped recording in the final four minutes before a Jeju Air plane crashed last month, killing 179 people. Singapore: The country's founding father wanted hs longtime home destroyed rather than preserved as a museum. The building is now the center of a family feud. China: With deflation fears gripping the country, the central bank said on Friday that it had temporarily stopped buying government bonds. Pope Francis: President Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction to the pontiff, calling him "the People's Pope." Sudan: The Sudanese military recaptured the city of Wad Madani from the Rapid Support Forces, or R.S.F., a paramilitary group. Brazil: Digital gambling is reshaping how people place wagers and upending organized crime. Iran: An Iranian man sought by the U.S. and arrested in Italy last month has been freed and returned to Tehran, according to Iran's state news agency. News From Europe Italy: In new church guidelines for the country, the Vatican said that gay men could train to be priests as long as they remained celibate. Britain: The nation's first facility for drug users to inject themselves under medical supervision is set to open in Glasgow today after almost a decade of debate. SPORTS NEWS Australian Open: The tournament got underway in Melbourne, despite heavy rain and lightning. Here's the latest. Football: In Canada, where the N.F.L. has expanded its marketing, fans of nearby teams in Detroit and Buffalo have long anguished over losing seasons. This year, a title drought could end. Skiing: Lindsey Vonn, who made a stellar return to Alpine skiing at 40, has become the oldest woman to finish in the top four of a World Cup race. MORNING READ Joao Silva/The New York Times Cabo Delgado Province, in Mozambique, was once like paradise. But for more than seven years, the region has been devastated by Islamic State militants. The government says the crisis has stabilized, but residents, both emotionally and physically scarred, say otherwise. Nearly 6,000 people have been killed, and up to half of the 2.3 million people in have been displaced. Our reporters visited the region. Lives lived: Richard Hays, a theologian who shook the evangelical world by arguing that, scripturally speaking, same-sex relationships are not sinful, has died at 76. CONVERSATION STARTERS Hams in the belfry: How a cash-poor French cathedral fixed its organ. A hidden epidemic: As many as two billion people suffer from chronic pain. Can science finally bring us relief? British imports: Many stage shows that receive rave reviews in London are panned when they make it to New York City. Are Broadway critics just grumpier? Call it a "hat-scarf": Grown-up bonnets are the winter hat of the moment. ARTS AND IDEAS Alexey Malgavko/Reuters Shooting the northern lights Nature-centric travel, growing interest in astrotourism and a greater understanding of how and when auroras occur have fueled the popularity of northern lights tourism. But so, too, say some aurora experts, have cellphone cameras, creating many of the colorful images appearing on social media. Why does the aurora borealis look so much more vibrant through a lens than to the naked eye? Cellphone cameras can pick things out the eye can't see, Nori Jemil, a London-based photographer, said. "It's not fake," she said, "but it's using computer algorithms to bring it all together for a wow effect." 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: For an easy, cozy dinner, make tortellini soup. Listen: The superstar Bad Bunny released his sixth album this month. Get to know the artist's back catalog in nine songs. Read: Here are six new books we recommend this week. 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. 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