Monday Briefing: Number of missing rises in L.A.
Good morning. We’re covering the Los Angeles fires and a potential turning point in Sudan’s civil war. Plus, how cured ham fixed an antique organ in France.
Number of missing rises as Los Angeles fires continueFirefighters made some progress to contain the multiple wildfires across the city on Sunday as more desert winds arrived. The blazes have killed at least 16 people, and Sheriff Robert Luna of Los Angeles County said that the number of missing increased by the hour. Follow our live coverage here. Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed, and the kind of gusts that have propelled the fires were expected to return after a possible reprieve. Even as crews managed to stop the momentum of the large Palisades fire, fire risk remained high in the region. More than 100,000 residents were still under evacuation orders. The Eaton fire, which has killed at least 11 people, is now among the deadliest in California history. Search teams with cadaver dogs scoured neighborhoods razed by the flames. Here’s what we know about the victims of the fires. Political criticism: California politicians have faced questions about their preparation. President-elect Donald Trump called state officials “incompetent” on his Truth Social site and renewed a longstanding feud with Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, who has said Trump was politicizing the destruction. Inmate firefighters: More than 900 prisoners are working to slow the spread of the deadly blazes. California has long relied on incarcerated people to help fight wildfires, but their work this month has revived criticism of the practice.
A potential turning point in Sudan’s civil warThe Sudanese military this week recaptured the city of Wad Madani from the Rapid Support Forces, or R.S.F., a paramilitary group that had overtaken the city just over a year ago. If the military were able to maintain control there, experts say, it would be the most significant victory since the war began nearly two years ago and could reshape the battlefield. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan, the leader of the R.S.F., vowed to soon take back the city. Sudanese residents flocked to the streets of Khartoum, the capital, to celebrate the victory as church bells pealed in Port Sudan. They hoped the news might signal a turning point in a civil war that has led to massacres, ethnic cleansing and a spreading famine. Related: Last week, the U.S. determined that the R.S.F. had committed genocide in Sudan. |
