Thursday Briefing: Haley drops out
Good morning. We’re covering the results from Super Tuesday and dimming prospects for a Gaza cease-fire. Plus, a new generation of Chinese supermodels.
Haley dropped out of the U.S. raceNikki Haley exited the race for president, effectively handing the Republican nomination to Donald Trump. She pointedly declined to endorse him — instead saying he must earn the support of her voters. The sequel of Biden vs. Trump — a contest many Americans had hoped to avoid — is now an inescapable reality. Expect the electoral fight to be a bitter, brutal eight-month slog. Both candidates intend to make the race about their opponent, which means a pair of extremely negative campaigns. (Biden, 81, says Trump is a threat to democracy; Trump, 77, portrays Biden as elderly and unfit.) Biden should be the favorite: He’s an incumbent running against the backdrop of a healthy enough economy, and his opponent is accused of multiple federal crimes. But Trump is leading in the polls. Yesterday, he was endorsed by Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican minority leader, who said Trump had earned “the requisite support of Republican voters.” Tonight, Biden has a big chance to make his case for a second term: He will deliver his annual State of the Union address, which will be watched by one of his biggest audiences before the election in November. Analysis: Haley’s withdrawal ends the latest struggle over the soul and direction of the Republican Party. Some had seen her as their last and best chance to move away from Trump.
Gaza truce talks stall as Ramadan approachesTalks between Israel and Hamas over a cease-fire and the release of the hostages in Gaza have stalled, according to people briefed on the conversations. Hopes are dimming that the sides will reach a deal before Ramadan, which begins on Sunday. Negotiators had been discussing an initial six-week cease-fire during which Hamas would release about 40 women — including older captives, ill hostages and five female Israeli soldiers — for a substantial number of Palestinian prisoners. But Hamas has recently backed away from that proposed agreement and is making broad demands that Israel refuses to meet, officials said, including committing to a permanent cease-fire during or after three phases of hostage releases. The U.S. had been pushing for an agreement to be reached before Ramadan, when frustration and tempers could flare, making an agreement more difficult to achieve. On the ground: A stream of conflicting reports about the truce talks has sent Gazans on an exhausting emotional roller coaster.
Russia hit Odesa during a visit by Zelensky and Greece’s leaderA Russian strike on Odesa yesterday occurred while President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece were visiting the Ukrainian port city. Neither was hurt, and it was unclear whether Russia had targeted them — or how close they were to the explosion. Ukraine said that Russia had struck port infrastructure in the city and that five people had been killed. Mitsotakis told reporters that he and Zelensky were visiting the city’s port at the time of the assault and heard “explosions that were very close to us.” Aleksei Navalny: Russians are flocking to the grave of the country’s most prominent opposition leader as they contemplate his legacy. |
