Ukraine, Catalonia, Champions League: Your Friday Briefing – New York Times
They are back at the usual squabbles as the clock ticks toward a Catalan independence referendum on Oct. 1. Our correspondent notes that these divisions also have practical security implications that the attack plotters perhaps managed to exploit.
A march in Barcelona planned for tomorrow could show how much these divisions are reflected in the broader public.
(Above, King Felipe VI stood between the prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, and the Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, at a vigil last week.)
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In Washington, our reporters look at the efforts by the new White House chief of staff, John Kelly, to impose an order on the information flow to Mr. Trump.
The changes Mr. Kelly, a retired general, have put in place have resulted in a more functional government, administration officials said.
Separately, heres a profile of Mr. Trumps top soldier in Afghanistan: Gen. John Nicholson, above, is a combat veteran described by peers as a thinker warrior. He has not yet met Mr. Trump.
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Roger Federer, the Swiss tennis star, discussed his late-career resurgence, a rarity for any sport, with our magazine writer. Im long past the thing that you have to end your career in a fairy tale, he said of his expectations.
Mr. Federer could win his third major of the year at the U.S. Open, and fans are hoping for a face-off with his archrival, Rafael Nadal. Meanwhile, with Serena Williamss absence, womens tennis for once lacks its traditional rivalries.
In soccer news, the draw for the group stage of this seasons UEFA Champions League put Real Madrid, Tottenham and Dortmund in the same group. Barcelona gets a chance for an early revenge against Juventus. (Heres the full list.)
And the four-time British Olympic champion Mo Farahs track career ended with a thrilling win in Zurich.
President Trump must soon decide whether to renominate Janet Yellen, above, as the chairwoman of the Federal Reserve. She is speaking today at the Jackson Hole gathering of central bankers, as is the European Central Bank president, Mario Draghi.
In Croatia, Uber is taking to the sea, offering an (expensive) new boat service. It could soon be available in Greece and Spain.
There are new questions about the corporate structure of HNA, the Chinese conglomerate that is Deutsche Banks largest shareholder. We uncovered undisclosed deals and relationships that could heighten regulatory scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe.
Networking is overrated, a business school professor writes in this much-read Op-Ed. Its better to focus on achieving great things.
Heres a snapshot of global markets.
At least eight people remain missing after a landslide swept through a small village in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday. [The New York Times]
Prosecutors in Denmark seek murder charges against Peter Madsen, the Danish inventor arrested in the death of a Swedish journalist onboard his submarine. [The New York Times]
The police in Rome clashed with hundreds of migrants, scattering them from a square they had camped on for days after they had been evicted from a building they had occupied for years. [Los Angeles Times]
When the French interior minister tied terrorism to mental illness, he started a debate about whether such a link existed. [France 24]
The Dutch police said there was no longer an imminent terrorist threat after they arrested a 22-year-old man in Rotterdam in an investigation into plans for an attack on a concert site. A Spanish man, detained earlier, has been released. [The New York Times]
The Czech authorities extradited a Vietnamese man to Germany over the abduction of an asylum-seeking Vietnamese executive in Berlin last month. [The New York Times]
In Thailand, the lawyer of Yingluck Shinawatra, the former prime minister ousted in a coup, said he was unaware whether she was still in the country. A court said it would issue an arrest warrant after she failed to appear before it. [The NewYork Times]
Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life.
Recipe of the day: Make your own blueberry jam.
Protect your digital accounts by text or app.
In what should you invest? Ask yourself these tough questions.
We have plenty of European travel advice today: Theres our latest 36 Hours guide that finds daring cuisine and avant-garde art and design in Brussels. And heres an ode to family holidays in Romania.
In Marrakesh, Yves Saint Laurent discovered light and color, draping and caftans. A new museum in Morocco will soon celebrate his work.
In Britain, an 800-year-old coffin was damaged after a family put a child in it for a photo and knocked off a small piece. It happens.
Finally, a geobiologist in Norway reflects on how Scandinavian summers taught her as a young woman to savor time.
It all began with a question about L. Frank Baums off-the-cuff story about a faraway magical land. What, a child asked, was the name of this extraordinary place? Baum looked at a filing cabinet label, rejected A-G and went with O-Z.
Thats one origin story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the childrens book that became a celebrated movie, which opened in wide release in the U.S. on this day in 1939.
It took more than a few screenwriters (11 by one count) to adapt Baums vision into a girls dream of a land over the rainbow from Depression-era Kansas.
Theories about the story abound. Is the yellow brick road a metaphor for the gold standard in the late 1800s? Does the movie sync up with Pink Floyds album The Dark Side of the Moon?
Some scholars are skeptical that Baum set out to write a populist allegory. (Youre on your own testing the Pink Floyd claim.)
But the charms of Baums tale endure. As a Times film critic wrote after the films debut, It is all so well-intentioned, so genial, and so gay that any reviewer who would look down his nose at the fun-making should be spanked and sent off, supperless, to bed.
Tim Williams contributed reporting.
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Ukraine, Catalonia, Champions League: Your Friday Briefing - New York Times
- Russia issues school textbook saying it was 'forced' to march into Ukraine - Reuters - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Russia introduces history textbook that redefines war against Ukraine as justified defense. - Kyiv Independent - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Bad Things Happened: Trump Still Doesnt Understand the Ukraine War - The Bulwark - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Russia says its troops have captured a strategic town in eastern Ukraine - The Associated Press - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- NATO chief: Cost of Russian victory in Ukraine would be trillions not billions - Atlantic Council - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- For Russian Forces In Ukraine, Its Now Normal To Ride Into Battle In A Compact Car - Forbes - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Opinion: Trump promised to end the Ukraine war, but neither side is ready - Los Angeles Times - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Putin echoes Trump's claim that conflict in Ukraine could have been avoided had he been in office - The Associated Press - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Russia says it sees no signs that Ukraine and the West are ready for peace talks despite all statements - Reuters - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Zelenskiy says Trump could end Ukraine war only if Kyiv included in talks - Reuters - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- War in Ukraine: EU to Agree to Extend Russia Sanctions, Hungary to Back Down - Bloomberg - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Letters: Stop the fireworks; angry about McCoy story; end war in Ukraine - VC Star - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Zelenskiy Says Ukraine Ready to Transit Gas From Azerbaijan - Bloomberg - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Why peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are not as simple as Trump makes out - The Independent - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Trump tells Putin to end 'ridiculous war' in Ukraine or face new sanctions - BBC.com - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Ukraine-Russia latest: Putin ready for Trump negotiations as Kyiv sets oil refinery ablaze with drone strike - The Independent - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Ukraine is reforming its recruitment efforts to attract younger soldiers and boost forces - The Associated Press - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Europe considers sending troops to Ukraine if theres a ceasefire. But would Russia accept? - The Associated Press - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Opinion: I spent Trumps inauguration in Ukraine. This is what I saw. - Salt Lake Tribune - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Putin claims Ukraine crisis may have been averted if Trump was president - CNN - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Did Ukraine Kill Its Own by Downing a Russian Plane? A Year Later, It Hasnt Said. - The New York Times - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Russia claims its troops are in the last stages of taking another eastern Ukraine town - The Associated Press - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Ukraine Is Losing Fewer Soldiers Than Russia but Its Still Losing the War - The New York Times - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Does Putin know why Ukraine fights on? Because we prize freedom above stability and wealth | Andrey Kurkov - The Guardian - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Russia rejects idea of NATO peacekeepers in Ukraine, warning of "uncontrollable escalation" - Reuters - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Trump's threat against Moscow on Ukraine seen as an insulting false start by some in Russia - NBC News - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- UKs 100-year partnership with Ukraine is a meaningless political stunt - Al Jazeera English - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
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- Putin ready for negotiations with Trump on Ukraine war - The Guardian - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- US arms exports hit record in 2024 on Ukraine-related demand - Reuters - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- This Ones Mine. Ukraine Says Russia Is Executing More POWs and Capturing It on Video. - The Wall Street Journal - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Russia Brushes Off Trumps Threats on Ukraine - The Wall Street Journal - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Russia: Nothing new in Trump threats on Moscows war on Ukraine - VOA Asia - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Video: The Kremlin responds to Trump calling on Putin to make a deal with Ukraine - CNN - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- To end the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump will need to get leverage - The Hill - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Ukraine's Kursk invasion was a risky play, but it might have nailed the timing - Business Insider - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Trump leans in on targeting Russian oil revenue as he tries to fulfill pledge to end Ukraine war - The Associated Press - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- 'He shouldn't have done that': Donald Trump criticizes Ukraine president over war - USA TODAY - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Putin open for talks with Trump over Ukraine war and calls for leaders to meet - The Independent - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Business elites truly believe Trump could be on the verge of solving one of the world's most difficult problems: The Ukraine War - New York Post - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Kyiv investigates another case of Russian soldiers executing Ukraine POWs - POLITICO Europe - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Ukrainian winemaker and US veterans team up to show the best of Ukraine, a glass at a time - The Associated Press - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Is Trump changing tack on ending the war in Ukraine? - The Conversation Indonesia - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Shared Challenges: Israel Considers Sending Russian Weapons Seized From Hezbollah to Ukraine - Foundation for Defense of Democracies - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Ukrainian troops say inexperienced North Koreans are making easy targets - The Washington Post - December 16th, 2024 [December 16th, 2024]
- Ukraine says it has laser weapon able to down targets flying at over 2km - Yahoo! Voices - December 16th, 2024 [December 16th, 2024]
- Berlin eyes role in Ukraine peace deal but says too early for decisions - Reuters - December 16th, 2024 [December 16th, 2024]
- Keep Ukraine Out of Talks to End Its War - Foreign Policy - December 16th, 2024 [December 16th, 2024]
- Ukraine and US say some North Korean troops have been killed fighting alongside Russian forces - The Associated Press - December 16th, 2024 [December 16th, 2024]
- Russia aims to win the war in Ukraine in 2025, top official says - Semafor - December 16th, 2024 [December 16th, 2024]
- Trump suggests reversing permission for Ukraine to use US missiles in Russia - The Telegraph - December 16th, 2024 [December 16th, 2024]
- Trump to Europe: Overseeing a Ukraine Cease-Fire Would Be Your Job - The Wall Street Journal - December 16th, 2024 [December 16th, 2024]
- The Price of Russian Victory: Why Letting Putin Win Would Cost America More Than Supporting Ukraine - Foreign Affairs Magazine - December 16th, 2024 [December 16th, 2024]
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- Ukraine says it has laser weapon able to down targets flying at over 2km - Reuters - December 16th, 2024 [December 16th, 2024]
- Trump says deal needed to stop Ukraine war, will talk to Putin and Zelenskiy - Reuters - December 16th, 2024 [December 16th, 2024]
- Were 750,000 additional lives wasted in Ukraine for less than nothing? - The Hill - December 16th, 2024 [December 16th, 2024]
- Ukraine war: US gives $20bn to Kyiv funded by seized Russian assets - BBC.com - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a US withdrawal from NATO is possible - The Associated Press - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- How Trump Can Win the Peace in Ukraine - The Atlantic - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Ukraine-Russia latest: Zelensky wont sacrifice young troops to Putins forces for more weapons from West - The Independent - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Biden is rushing aid to Ukraine. Both sides are digging in. And everyone is bracing for Trump - The Associated Press - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Russian prison boss killed in car blast in occupied Ukraine - BBC.com - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Kremlin says Ukraine war will go on until Putin's goals are met on battlefield or by negotiation - Reuters - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Russia targets Ukraine's energy grid as winter sets in. Here's how one plant copes - NPR - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Deadly Russian strike kills at least three in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia - Euronews - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- How Trump Could End the War in Ukraine - The Atlantic - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- War in Ukraine: The woman turning amputees into 'superhumans' - BBC.com - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Zelensky salutes Trump's 'strong resolve' to end war in Ukraine - FRANCE 24 English - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- US announces nearly $1 billion more in longer-term weapons support for Ukraine - The Associated Press - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Amid U.S. pressure, Ukraine starts thinking about drafting 18-year-olds - The Washington Post - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Zelenskyy open to Western troops providing security for end to war in Ukraine - The Associated Press - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Ukraine to raise NATO invite, security guarantees at meeting with European allies - Reuters - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Kyiv reveals total Ukraine casualties in Putins war for first time - POLITICO Europe - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Bill Browder on saving Ukraine, NATO, and the threat of Vladimir Putin - the1a.org - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Biden is rushing aid to Ukraine as everyone braces for Trump - FOX 5 DC - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]