Boris Johnson, Hong Kong, Syria: Your Friday Briefing
11/16/2019
(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)
Good morning.
We have a video investigation of a Russian bombing of a Syrian hospital. We also look at Boris Johnson’s campaign stumbles and, for your weekend musing, what’s to become of the internet.
Russia hampers U.N. inquiry in Syria
A United Nations investigation into aerial bombings of hospitals in rebel areas — possible war crimes — has accumulated evidence that the Syrian government’s Russian allies are responsible for at least some of them.
But the scope of the inquiry has so far been limited to seven sites among the many targeted, according to an internal U.N. document seen by The Times.
And diplomats say Russia has been pressing the global organization’s leader, Secretary General António Guterres, not to release the conclusions of even the narrowed inquiry.
Times investigation: Our video team pored through witness accounts and videos, time-coded cockpit recordings of Russian pilots, plane spotter logs and security camera footage to show that one of the hospitals — an underground facility that The Times found had been bombed by Russian pilots at least once before — was bombed by the Russians again last week.
Hong Kong protesters brace for siege at universities
Fears of a police crackdown on university campuses are growing as protesters use increasingly aggressive tactics. Primary and secondary schools in the territory remain closed through Sunday.
Black-clad activists at campuses wielded bows and arrows, set up elaborate roadblocks, built brick walls and practiced shooting firebombs from a giant slingshot.
Mike Ives, our colleague in Hong Kong who covered the unrest into the wee hours, said the protesters had been “stockpiling makeshift weapons for days.”
Fatality: A 70-year-old man died on Thursday night after being struck on the head. The government said he was hit by “hard objects hurled by masked rioters.”
Analysis: After six months of escalating protests, life has changed significantly in Hong Kong. The city long known for its rule of law, world-class transport, gleaming towers of global finance and cosmopolitan aura may never be the same.
For Boris Johnson, more hostility than handshakes
As the prime minister campaigns for Britain’s general election coming Dec. 12, some of the public anger he once marshaled in the service of Brexit is now being unleashed against him.
On Thursday, a crowd of climate-change protesters wielding signs that said “No BoJo” and “Cruel Con” forced him to cancel a visit to a bakery in the southwestern town of Glastonbury.
He has also fared poorly in flood-ravaged Yorkshire. “I’m not very happy about talking to you, so if you don’t mind, I’ll just motor on with what I’m doing,” said a woman filling sandbags. Another woman said, “You’ve got the cheek to come here,” calling Mr. Johnson’s promise of prosperity after Brexit a “fairy tale.”
Impact: The anger has damaged Mr. Johnson’s personal popularity and seems to have robbed him of some of his campaigning skills, leaving him at times unsure, tone deaf and gaffe prone. His defenders say he remains where he wants to be: in the public eye.
If you have some time this weekend, this is worth it
The internet of our dreams
The internet was supposed to be a utopia. Instead, it’s … something else entirely.
A special issue of The Times Magazine assesses the internet and its likely future with a guide featuring maps, graphs and cats.
Here’s what else is happening
U.S. school shooting: The authorities in California said a 16-year-old shot five fellow students, two fatally, at their high school north of Los Angeles, then gravely injured himself with a bullet to the head. It was at least the 11th school shooting in the country this year and came, officials said, on the gunman’s birthday.
Trump impeachment inquiry: The day after the first public hearing, Speaker Nancy Pelosi used the word “bribery” to describe President Trump’s conduct toward Ukraine, suggesting that Democrats might center articles of impeachment against him around that crime.
New Zealand: Behrouz Boochani, a refugee, award-winning writer and rights activist, received permission to leave Australia’s controversial immigrant detention camps for the first time in years. He will speak at a Christchurch literary festival this month.
The Netherlands: The government announced this week a sharp cut in highway speed limits and changes in farming practices, as it struggles to address a pollution problem that threatens to become an economic and political crisis.
Germany: The government has mandated that all children attending preschool or higher in the country must be vaccinated for measles, with fines for parents who do not comply.
Netflix: After public criticism from Poland’s prime minister, the company said it would modify some of the maps shown in a new documentary series, “The Devil Next Door,” to clarify that concentration camps shown within the boundaries of modern-day Poland were built and operated by Nazi Germany.
Snapshot: Above, Iraqi protesters in Baghdad paused from nearly two months of demonstrations against Iran to celebrate Iraq’s 2-1 victory over Iran in a World Cup soccer qualifying match played in Jordan. Police officers and Iraqi leaders shared the exuberance, creating a rare moment of national unity.
Llama love: In the U.S., llamas and alpacas are growing more popular in therapeutic settings like nursing homes and hospitals. “For some people, dogs are a little too much,” said one breeder.
What we’re watching: This Vice documentary about China’s vast network of Muslim detention camps, where the country’s Uighur minority is forced to adopt Chinese customs. Melina Delkic, on the Briefings team, calls it “a powerful look at forced assimilation.”
Now, a break from the news
Cook: This weekend, set up a slow cooker recipe for creamy, sweet-spicy coconut curry soup.
Watch: In the scintillating third season of “The Crown,” Olivia Colman becomes Elizabeth, determined to keep calm as the world carries on.
Go: A show at the Jewish Museum Vienna uses 157 netsuke — tiny Japanese carvings — to tell the story of a family that originated in Russia and survived World War II by spreading out into a worldwide diaspora. The main donor, Edmund De Waal, made one of the carvings famous in his 2010 memoir, “The Hare With Amber Eyes.”
Smarter Living: Renewable energy can’t always meet demand during peak hours. You can help even out the system by shifting some of your usage to off-peak hours, like doing laundry at night.
And now for the Back Story on …
How to pronounce ‘Kiev’
The impeachment hearings surrounding President Trump this week spawned a linguistic detour: How should one say the name of Ukraine’s capital?
Yuri Shevchuk, a lecturer in Ukrainian at Columbia University, said Ukrainians stress the first vowel, and pronounce it like the “i” in the word “kid.” The second vowel sounds like the “ee” sound in “keel,” and the v is also pronounced like the end of the word “low.” (It’s a bit hard to describe; there is an audio clip here.)
In Russian, Kiev sounds more like “KEY-ev.” But U.S. State Department employees generally try to pronounce it the Ukrainian way — though at some points on Wednesday it sounded more like “keev,” with the long “ee” pronounced as a single syllable.
There is also a debate over how to spell the city’s name in English. The official State Department biography of George Kent, who testified on Wednesday, spells it Kyiv, which reflects the transliteration from Ukrainian. (The New York Times still spells it Kiev, which is the transliteration from Russian.)
Dr. Shevchuk noted that legend has it that the city was founded by a set of siblings around the sixth century and named for the eldest brother, Kyi.
До зустрічі! (My computer tells me that’s Ukrainian for “See you!”)
— Andrea
Thank you Melina Delkic helped compile this briefing. Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford wrote the break from the news. Karen Zraick wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at [email protected].
P.S. • We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about the impeachment hearing. • Here’s today’s Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: “Hand over the money!” (5 letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • The Times’s audio team introduced “The Latest,” a podcast following the latest developments in the impeachment inquiry surrounding President Trump.
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Home » Analysis & Comment » Boris Johnson, Hong Kong, Syria: Your Friday Briefing
Boris Johnson, Hong Kong, Syria: Your Friday Briefing
(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)
Good morning.
We have a video investigation of a Russian bombing of a Syrian hospital. We also look at Boris Johnson’s campaign stumbles and, for your weekend musing, what’s to become of the internet.
Russia hampers U.N. inquiry in Syria
A United Nations investigation into aerial bombings of hospitals in rebel areas — possible war crimes — has accumulated evidence that the Syrian government’s Russian allies are responsible for at least some of them.
But the scope of the inquiry has so far been limited to seven sites among the many targeted, according to an internal U.N. document seen by The Times.
And diplomats say Russia has been pressing the global organization’s leader, Secretary General António Guterres, not to release the conclusions of even the narrowed inquiry.
Times investigation: Our video team pored through witness accounts and videos, time-coded cockpit recordings of Russian pilots, plane spotter logs and security camera footage to show that one of the hospitals — an underground facility that The Times found had been bombed by Russian pilots at least once before — was bombed by the Russians again last week.
Hong Kong protesters brace for siege at universities
Fears of a police crackdown on university campuses are growing as protesters use increasingly aggressive tactics. Primary and secondary schools in the territory remain closed through Sunday.
Black-clad activists at campuses wielded bows and arrows, set up elaborate roadblocks, built brick walls and practiced shooting firebombs from a giant slingshot.
Mike Ives, our colleague in Hong Kong who covered the unrest into the wee hours, said the protesters had been “stockpiling makeshift weapons for days.”
Fatality: A 70-year-old man died on Thursday night after being struck on the head. The government said he was hit by “hard objects hurled by masked rioters.”
Analysis: After six months of escalating protests, life has changed significantly in Hong Kong. The city long known for its rule of law, world-class transport, gleaming towers of global finance and cosmopolitan aura may never be the same.
For Boris Johnson, more hostility than handshakes
As the prime minister campaigns for Britain’s general election coming Dec. 12, some of the public anger he once marshaled in the service of Brexit is now being unleashed against him.
On Thursday, a crowd of climate-change protesters wielding signs that said “No BoJo” and “Cruel Con” forced him to cancel a visit to a bakery in the southwestern town of Glastonbury.
He has also fared poorly in flood-ravaged Yorkshire. “I’m not very happy about talking to you, so if you don’t mind, I’ll just motor on with what I’m doing,” said a woman filling sandbags. Another woman said, “You’ve got the cheek to come here,” calling Mr. Johnson’s promise of prosperity after Brexit a “fairy tale.”
Impact: The anger has damaged Mr. Johnson’s personal popularity and seems to have robbed him of some of his campaigning skills, leaving him at times unsure, tone deaf and gaffe prone. His defenders say he remains where he wants to be: in the public eye.
If you have some time this weekend, this is worth it
The internet of our dreams
The internet was supposed to be a utopia. Instead, it’s … something else entirely.
A special issue of The Times Magazine assesses the internet and its likely future with a guide featuring maps, graphs and cats.
Here’s what else is happening
U.S. school shooting: The authorities in California said a 16-year-old shot five fellow students, two fatally, at their high school north of Los Angeles, then gravely injured himself with a bullet to the head. It was at least the 11th school shooting in the country this year and came, officials said, on the gunman’s birthday.
Trump impeachment inquiry: The day after the first public hearing, Speaker Nancy Pelosi used the word “bribery” to describe President Trump’s conduct toward Ukraine, suggesting that Democrats might center articles of impeachment against him around that crime.
New Zealand: Behrouz Boochani, a refugee, award-winning writer and rights activist, received permission to leave Australia’s controversial immigrant detention camps for the first time in years. He will speak at a Christchurch literary festival this month.
The Netherlands: The government announced this week a sharp cut in highway speed limits and changes in farming practices, as it struggles to address a pollution problem that threatens to become an economic and political crisis.
Germany: The government has mandated that all children attending preschool or higher in the country must be vaccinated for measles, with fines for parents who do not comply.
Netflix: After public criticism from Poland’s prime minister, the company said it would modify some of the maps shown in a new documentary series, “The Devil Next Door,” to clarify that concentration camps shown within the boundaries of modern-day Poland were built and operated by Nazi Germany.
Snapshot: Above, Iraqi protesters in Baghdad paused from nearly two months of demonstrations against Iran to celebrate Iraq’s 2-1 victory over Iran in a World Cup soccer qualifying match played in Jordan. Police officers and Iraqi leaders shared the exuberance, creating a rare moment of national unity.
Llama love: In the U.S., llamas and alpacas are growing more popular in therapeutic settings like nursing homes and hospitals. “For some people, dogs are a little too much,” said one breeder.
What we’re watching: This Vice documentary about China’s vast network of Muslim detention camps, where the country’s Uighur minority is forced to adopt Chinese customs. Melina Delkic, on the Briefings team, calls it “a powerful look at forced assimilation.”
Now, a break from the news
Cook: This weekend, set up a slow cooker recipe for creamy, sweet-spicy coconut curry soup.
Watch: In the scintillating third season of “The Crown,” Olivia Colman becomes Elizabeth, determined to keep calm as the world carries on.
Go: A show at the Jewish Museum Vienna uses 157 netsuke — tiny Japanese carvings — to tell the story of a family that originated in Russia and survived World War II by spreading out into a worldwide diaspora. The main donor, Edmund De Waal, made one of the carvings famous in his 2010 memoir, “The Hare With Amber Eyes.”
Smarter Living: Renewable energy can’t always meet demand during peak hours. You can help even out the system by shifting some of your usage to off-peak hours, like doing laundry at night.
And now for the Back Story on …
How to pronounce ‘Kiev’
The impeachment hearings surrounding President Trump this week spawned a linguistic detour: How should one say the name of Ukraine’s capital?
Yuri Shevchuk, a lecturer in Ukrainian at Columbia University, said Ukrainians stress the first vowel, and pronounce it like the “i” in the word “kid.” The second vowel sounds like the “ee” sound in “keel,” and the v is also pronounced like the end of the word “low.” (It’s a bit hard to describe; there is an audio clip here.)
In Russian, Kiev sounds more like “KEY-ev.” But U.S. State Department employees generally try to pronounce it the Ukrainian way — though at some points on Wednesday it sounded more like “keev,” with the long “ee” pronounced as a single syllable.
There is also a debate over how to spell the city’s name in English. The official State Department biography of George Kent, who testified on Wednesday, spells it Kyiv, which reflects the transliteration from Ukrainian. (The New York Times still spells it Kiev, which is the transliteration from Russian.)
Dr. Shevchuk noted that legend has it that the city was founded by a set of siblings around the sixth century and named for the eldest brother, Kyi.
До зустрічі! (My computer tells me that’s Ukrainian for “See you!”)
— Andrea
Thank you
Melina Delkic helped compile this briefing. Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford wrote the break from the news. Karen Zraick wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at [email protected].
P.S.
• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about the impeachment hearing.
• Here’s today’s Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: “Hand over the money!” (5 letters). You can find all our puzzles here.
• The Times’s audio team introduced “The Latest,” a podcast following the latest developments in the impeachment inquiry surrounding President Trump.
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