Wednesday Briefing: A wave of post-Assad attacks
Good morning. We’re covering strikes in Syria and the man charged in the killing of a C.E.O. in Manhattan. Plus, how Netflix brought a fictional town to life.
Syria was hit with a wave of post-Assad attacksIsrael said that it had destroyed Syria’s navy in overnight airstrikes, as it continued to pound targets in the country despite warnings that its operations there could ignite a new conflict and jeopardize the transition to an interim government. Israeli military officials characterized the operations as defensive, saying it was striking suspected chemical weapons stockpiles to prevent them from falling “into the hands of extremists.” Since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, Israeli warplanes have conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria, according to monitors, and Israeli ground forces made their first overt entry into Syrian territory in more than 50 years. The U.N. special envoy for Syria called on Israel to halt its military operations. These are the powers jockeying for influence in the area. Even as rebels try to build a government after taking Damascus, armed groups with competing interests are still fighting for territory and power. In northern Syria, fierce fighting took place yesterday between rebels supported by Turkey and Kurdish forces backed by the U.S. Here’s what else to know: Syria’s transitional government: The rebel alliance forming an interim government appointed Mohammed al-Bashir as prime minister. Prison search: A Syrian volunteer rescue group said it had finished searching for detainees at “the infamous Sednaya Prison” on the outskirts of Damascus. Thousands of people remain missing, the group said. On the ground: Christina Goldbaum, a Times correspondent, traveled to Damascus to find out how residents were reacting to the sudden breakthrough in the 13-year civil war.
A man was charged in the C.E.O.’s killing in New YorkLuigi Mangione, was charged with murder on Monday in the assassination of Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare. He was arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania after another customer recognized the suspect and an employee called the authorities. Mangione, 26, saw the killing as a “symbolic takedown,” according to an internal police report that detailed a manifesto found with him at the time of his arrest. “Frankly these parasites simply had it coming,” the manifesto was quoted as saying. Here’s the latest. The report, which was obtained by The Times, said the manifesto also indicated that he saw the killing as a direct challenge to the health care industry’s “alleged corruption and ‘power games.’” More on the suspect: He was an Ivy League tech graduate who had suffered physical and psychological pain in recent months.
Netanyahu testified at his corruption trialEight years after the police started investigating him, and four years after his trial began, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, took the stand yesterday for the first time. He is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust — all of which he denies. It was a humbling moment that he seemed determined to transcend. “I am shocked by the magnitude of this absurdity,” Netanyahu said. What’s next: The trial is expected to continue for years, and Netanyahu will most likely take the stand several times a week for several months. We broke down the case for you here. |
