Libya, Harry and Meghan, SpaceX: Your Monday Briefing – The New York Times
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Good morning.
Were covering halting steps toward peace in Libya, Harry and Meghans hard break from the British royal family and a facial recognition app thats scraping photos from Facebook.
Gen. Khalifa Hifter, a rebel commander in Libya whose forces are laying siege to Tripoli, is due to meet in Moscow today with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, amid hopes that the general might embrace a permanent cease-fire agreement that he refused to sign last week.
The meeting comes a day after more than a dozen international powers with competing interests in Libya met in Berlin and called for a cease-fire, an arms embargo and a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process for ending a conflict that has festered for nearly nine years.
But expectations remain low: On Sunday, as General Hifters forces launched fresh attacks on Tripoli, he and the Libyan prime minister refused to even spend time in the same room together.
Related: As Russia and Turkey play a bigger role in trying to end the conflict, Europe is belatedly sensing the implications of a new Great Game, this time in North Africa, that is rapidly destabilizing its backyard, our Brussels-based correspondents write.
Russia: Our reporter in Moscow explains why Mr. Putin announced last week a surprise reorganization of the government four years before he is scheduled to step down. (Hint: An autocrats usual retirement package death, jail or exile is unappealing.)
When Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, made the bombshell announcement that they planned to step back from their royal duties, they said they hoped to carve out a progressive new role within the monarchy.
But under a severance deal announced over the weekend, the couple will lose most of the privileges and perks of royalty once they give up their full-time status and forsake Britain for an uncertain future in Canada and the United States. Its a harsher deal than the soft exit theyd imagined.
It brings me great sadness that it has come to this, Harry said of the agreement, which codifies one of the most dramatic ruptures within the British royal family since King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry an American, Wallis Simpson.
Details: Harry and Meghan will forgo public funding of their activities, abandon their royal designations and repay the more than $3 million they spent refurbishing their residence on the grounds of Windsor Castle. But for now, their website has retained references to His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness.
Quotable: Penny Junor, a royal biographer, said the British royal family was trying to prevent a half-in, half-out arrangement, which doesnt work.
President Trumps high-powered legal team is expected to expand today on its earlier arguments that the case against the president is legally and constitutionally invalid, and driven by a desire to hurt him in the 2020 election.
Democrats argued in a competing legal brief on Saturday that Mr. Trump, through his pressure on Ukraine, had enlisted a foreign government to help him win re-election, then sought to conceal his actions from Congress. And with the presidents Senate impeachment trial set to open on Tuesday, Democrats are intensifying their demands for testimony and documents.
Another angle: Mr. Trumps personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani, and his Ukrainian allies see people who are fighting corruption in the country as enemies. That could complicate President Volodymyr Zelenskys battles with oligarchs and organized crime.
Related: The Times Magazine profiled Mr. Giuliani, a central player in Mr. Trumps Ukraine pressure campaign.
From opinion: The Timess editorial board endorsed both Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Italys anti-establishment Five Star Movement, which won the largest vote in national elections two years ago, was supposed to revolutionize the countrys politics. Now it looks to be on the verge of a slow-but-irreversible collapse.
Five Star had a messy breakup with Matteo Salvinis hard-right League party over the summer, and its governing coalition with the center-left Democratic Party hasnt worked out. The main problem, analysts say, is that Five Star has failed to transition from a vague protest movement into a governing party that is willing to take clear positions.
Whats next: At elections in the Emilia Romagna and Calabria regions later this month, the ascendant Mr. Salvini is hoping to put a stake in the governments heart, our Rome bureau chief, Jason Horowitz, writes.
Closer look: Last month Jason profiled Luigi Di Maio, Five Stars political leader and Italys foreign minister.
Isabel dos Santos, above center, Africas richest woman and the daughter of Angolas former president, often took cuts of her countrys wealth through decrees signed by her father. Global banks, bound by strict rules about politically connected clients, largely declined to work with her family.
But consulting companies readily embraced her business, and even agreed to take money from offshore shell companies tied to her and her associates. As a result, they both facilitated and helped legitimize her efforts to profit off diamonds, oil and banks in a country hobbled by corruption.
Virus in China: The authorities reported a third death and more than 130 new cases linked to a mysterious respiratory virus over the weekend, bringing the total number of reported cases to about 200. As millions in China prepare to travel home for Lunar New Year, some experts worry that the outbreak could be more severe than the government admits.
Rocket blast: SpaceX intentionally blew up a spacecraft, with NASAs blessing, after launching it from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as a way to test an escape feature for astronauts. The test may set the stage for SpaceX and Boeing to launch their first crewed flights.
Controversial app: Hundreds of American law enforcement agencies are using Clearview, a facial recognition app that identifies people based on photos scraped from Facebook and other websites. Clearview has shrouded itself in secrecy.
Klimt, revealed: A prosecutor said a painting by Gustav Klimt that was found last month inside the walls of the same Italian museum from which it was stolen almost 23 years ago is authentic.
Snapshot: Above, a small clothing factory that was flooded by calls from widows seeking work in Aleppo, Syria. As the countrys civil war grinds on, more women in socially and religiously conservative areas are leaving home and working for the first time.
What were reading: This look back at Prohibition, 100 years later, from NorthJersey.com. Its a perfectly mixed cocktail of history, politics and culture, writes Gina Lamb, a Special Sections editor. Dont miss the video.
Cook: Red curry lentils with sweet potato and spinach is an aromatic meal inspired by Indian dal.
Watch: With Star Trek: Picard, a spinoff following Patrick Stewarts Starfleet officer, the franchise is trying to rediscover its place in a universe that it effectively invented.
Smarter Living: If youre a night owl tired of not getting enough sleep, heres how to become a morning person.
Facing the likelihood of incoming clouds of smoke from the bushfires scorching the country, tournament officials say they may have to close the retractable roofs on three stadiums and restrict play to the eight indoor courts. Play began today.
The retractable roof on what is now Rod Laver Arena was a big attraction when it was new, in 1988. According to its designers, the point was to allow the stadium to host concerts and sports in all seasons.
It also helped the Australian Open make the transition into one of the grander of tenniss four Grand Slam events.
When the event began in the early 20th century, travel time for Americans and Europeans could be more than a month, so play was largely limited to Australians and New Zealanders.
Even after the advent of jet travel, low prize money and dates around the Christmas holidays kept many players away. Chris Evert played the Australian Open just six times; John McEnroe five; Bjorn Borg once.
Over time, prize money and ranking points increased. The tournament shifted to the third and fourth weeks of January and moved to Melbourne Park which has since added two more retractable roofs. Those additions now seem prescient.
Thats it for this briefing. See you next time.
Mike
Thank youTo Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford for the break from the news. Todays Back Story is drawn from reporting by Ben Rothenberg, who covers the Australian Open for The Times. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.
P.S. Were listening to The Daily. Our latest episode is about Bernie Sanderss campaign strategy. Heres todays Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: Point of a fable (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here. The New York Times reported from 159 countries in 2019.
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Libya, Harry and Meghan, SpaceX: Your Monday Briefing - The New York Times
- Al-Sisi calls for unified efforts to hold elections in Libya, urges withdrawal of foreign forces - Daily News Egypt - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- UNSMIL calls for investigation into death of government critic - The Libya Observer - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Is a friendly in Libya coming? Bara would have already reached an agreement - FC Barcelona Noticias - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Big Oil Bids in Libya's First Exploration Tender in 18 Years - Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Trkiye rejects EU declaration over deal with Libya | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Fresh pushback from Ankara over opposition to Turkey-Libya marine borders deal - eKathimerini.com - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Egypt hosts secret talks between Sudan's Burhan and Libya's Haftar in bid to mend ties, sources say - Middle East Eye - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Libya's Energy Exploration Tender: Chevron and TotalEnergies Among Key Contenders - News and Statistics - IndexBox - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Greek PM Mitsotakis and Commissioner Brunner Discuss Curbing Migrant Flows from Libya - tovima.com - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- How LA 2028 And U.S. Security Policy Are Disrupting Global Travel: Impact On Iran, Haiti, Libya, Senegal, And Venezuela, Here Is What You Need To Know... - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Libya: Battling conditions with organic growing - Hortidaily - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Trump Advisor Boulous: Elections are the only solution to end Libyas crisis - The Libya Observer - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Oil Tanker Suffers Unexplained Blast Weeks After Russia Call - Bloomberg - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Mitsotakis Wants EU to Keep Libya from Sending Refugee Boats - The National Herald - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- No injuries or pollution after explosion at oil tanker off Libya, says Greek operator - eKathimerini.com - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- 2 Greek warships begin patrolling off Libya to prevent flow of irregular migrants - Anadolu Ajans - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Libya's economy showed recovery in 2024, remained resilient despite reliance on hydrocarbons and ongoing political and security instability: World... - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Belarusian PM to Hammad: Minsk eyes cooperation with Libya in agriculture, industry, and healthcare - The Libya Observer - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Libya rejects European interference in maritime agreement with Turkey - The Arab Weekly - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- The Prime Minister of Eastern Libya threatens Greece - - Greek City Times - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Three Libyan companies win awards in Athens International Olive Oil Competition - Libya Herald - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Explosion Reported on Crude Tanker Off the Coast of Libya - The Maritime Executive - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Libyan and Omani Economy Ministers meet agree to activate several existing agreements and hold a business forum - Libya Herald - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Libya, Trkiye defend deal as Greece sustains objection | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Greece deploys 3 warships in the Eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and Libya - The Libya Observer - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Economy Ministry warns against speculation on the Dinar, assures gradual stability of exchange market - The Libya Observer - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Libyan Italian Forum concludes with the signing of 98 MoUs - Libya Herald - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Greek Political Tensions Resurface Over Turkey-Libya Pact - Greek City Times - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- UN urges renewed political and climate action in Libya amid humanitarian and governance crises - africanews.com - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Warehouse fire and explosion in Ajkharrah injures 18 - The Libya Observer - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Pakistan urges all stakeholders in divided Libya to address outstanding issues through dialogue - Associated Press of Pakistan - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Libya, Turkey sign MoU on offshore areas, Athens reiterates rejection - eKathimerini.com - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Libya - United States Mission to the United Nations (.gov) - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Pakistan urges continued intl support for peace in Libya - RADIO PAKISTAN - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Greece to deploy frigates off Libya to curb increased migrant flows, PM says - Reuters - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Libya's Al-Khadim airbase becomes a hub for Russian arms in the Sahel - RFI - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Greek Navy Deploys Warships To Thwart Surge Of Migrant Vessels Off Libya - Marine Insight - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- MSF remains ready to resume medical activities in Libya - MSF - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Greek Navy Sending Refugee Hunting Patrols Near Libya - The National Herald - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- New appointments for Stability Support Apparatus and Judicial Police Authority - The Libya Observer - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Greece plans to deploy navy ships off Libya to 'send a message' to migrant smugglers - MSN - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- CBL penalizes three banks over unauthorized customer fees - The Libya Observer - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Analyst doubts impact of Berlin talks on Libya - Libyan Express - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- General Authority for Exhibitions discusses strengthening cooperation with Turkey - The Libya Observer - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Qatar reaffirms commitment to work with partners to achieve peace in Libya - The Peninsula Qatar - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Libya's parallel government rejects Greeces drilling moves in the Mediterranean - The Libya Observer - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- At least 60 people feared dead after shipwrecks off the coast of Libya - Al Jazeera - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- IOM Reports 60 Migrants Missing in Two Deadly Shipwrecks off Libya - International Organization for Migration - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Russias Potential Withdrawal from Syria and Pivot to Libya - New Lines Institute - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Soccer fans storm field in Libya and a Portuguese referee is injured during a suspended match - Houston Chronicle - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Gaza-bound activist convoy retreats to Misrata after being blocked in east Libya - France 24 - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Libya : Moscow fears being excluded from the Berlin process - Africa Intelligence - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Tunisia calls for stronger ties with Libya and Algeria - Libyan Express - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Activists stopped in Libya and Egypt ahead of planned march to protest Gaza blockade - The Times of Israel - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- UN envoy: Hate speech threatens Libyas unity and stability - The Libya Observer - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Libya is without justice, peace and a functioning state - Arab News - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- At least 60 people feared missing in two deadly shipwrecks off Libya, IOM says - Yahoo - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Injustice By Design: Need for Comprehensive Justice Reform in Libya - Human Rights Watch - June 4th, 2025 [June 4th, 2025]
- Tripoli Just Flipped: Why the U.S. Cant Afford to Miss This Moment in Libya - Middle East Forum - June 4th, 2025 [June 4th, 2025]
- Mi-26s and T-62s: What Russia's military backing of Haftar means for Libya - AL-Monitor - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- Libyan political parties call for inclusive political process - The Libya Observer - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- Libya protesters call on PM to quit in third weekly march - The New Arab - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- Libyan ambassador checks on community in Alexandria after storm - The Libya Observer - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- Two summits for Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia on Libya before end of year - The Libya Observer - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- 11 Sudanese migrants killed in a car crash in the Libya desert, authorities say - ABC News - May 30th, 2025 [May 30th, 2025]
- Libya Arrests Three for Storming NOC Amid Threats to Oil Supply - Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com - May 30th, 2025 [May 30th, 2025]
- France supports the renewal of the arms embargo on Libya - France ONU - May 30th, 2025 [May 30th, 2025]
- Libya's Eastern Government Warns Of Force Majeure on Oil Ports and Fields - Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com - May 30th, 2025 [May 30th, 2025]
- Turkey's strategy towards Libya: analysis of regional dynamics and future perspectives - - iari.site - May 30th, 2025 [May 30th, 2025]
- Libya's eastern-based government says it may announce force majeure on oil fields, ports - Reuters - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Haftar vows military will have final say at key moments - The Libya Observer - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Sharing influence in Libya, Russia and Turkey work for calm after Haftars threats - The Arab Weekly - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Tripoli Just Flipped: Why the US Cant Afford to Miss This Moment in Libya - The Times of Israel - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Libya mandates underwater hull inspections - safety4sea - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- For King and BP: How Britains MI6 infiltrated Libya to plunder its oil resources - PressTV - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- PC advisor: Forming new authority in Libya could lead to war - The Libya Observer - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Russia, Turkey to use their influence to prevent renewed fighting in Libya - The Libya Observer - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- National Oil Corporation denies storming of its headquarters in Tripoli - The Libya Observer - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- HoR Speaker says delay in forming new government will lead to chaos - The Libya Observer - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Libya: Sudanese human rights defender disappeared and under imminent threat of forced return - Amnesty International - May 26th, 2025 [May 26th, 2025]