We’re covering a health emergency in Congo, an investigation into the Notre-Dame fire and an unusual poker world champion.
Congo Ebola outbreak declared global health emergency
The yearlong Ebola epidemic, which has killed 1,676 people and infected 2,512, is the second-largest outbreak in history (after the one in West Africa in 2014 and 2015, which killed 11,310 people and infected 28,616 others).
The World Health Organization issued a global health emergency declaration on Wednesday, on the recommendation of an expert panel that had considered and rejected the move three times in recent months. The delay had drawn sharp criticism from public health specialists.
Significance: The W.H.O. reserves the declaration of a global emergency for outbreaks that pose a serious threat to public health and could spread to other countries. The order is meant to increase international attention and garner aid to help stop epidemics.
Urgency: The W.H.O. said it had received $49 million from international donors from February to July, only half the money it needs. Officials who have visited the region say supplies are running short, including protective gear for health workers, syringes and gloves.
Iran crisis raises uncertainties over prisoners
As tensions between Tehran and Washington have escalated in recent months, the fates of foreign prisoners held in Iran — which American officials believe are used as political pawns — have become increasingly complicated.
At least four American citizens are known to be held in Iran. A British-Iranian woman who has been detained in Tehran since 2016 was recently moved to a hospital psychiatric unit, her family said. And, most recently, a French-Iranian scholar was arrested without explanation, officials said on Monday.
For their part, Iranian officials have said that more than a dozen Iranians are being held by the U.S., often on charges of violating American sanctions.
What’s next? While each case is different, it’s unclear what might happen to the prisoners stuck in Iran’s opaque judiciary system. Their families say they receive dribs and drabs of information, if any at all, about their cases.
Pakistan arrests terrorist group leader
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the founder of the group behind the deadly 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India, is in custody. The question is for how long, since he has been arrested and released before.
Mr. Saeed is charged with financing terrorism following investigations into two charities that prosecutors said acted as fronts for Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group that he founded.
Context: Pakistan has long been criticized for sheltering wanted terrorists, and last year an international terrorism-financing watchdog threatened to blacklist the country if it didn’t crack down on militant groups and leaders — an outcome the new prime minister, Imran Khan, said the weakened economy “can’t afford.”
What’s next: Mr. Saeed’s arrest comes days before Mr. Khan is scheduled to meet with President Trump in Washington, when the prime minister will try to present a reformed image of Pakistan. The discussions will also likely touch on the ongoing Afghan peace negotiations.
How Notre-Dame was saved
It has been three months since a fire ravaged the more-than-850-year-old landmark in Paris. The Times conducted scores of interviews and reviewed hundreds of documents to reconstruct how it was saved.
What became clear was how close the cathedral — one of the world’s most recognizable buildings — came to collapsing, and how a small group of firefighters prevented it. Here are more takeaways from our investigation.
What happened: A guard who responded to the fire went to the wrong building and found nothing. By the time he and a fire security company employee realized the mistake, the fire had been burning for more than 30 minutes.
Fighting the fire: Disadvantaged by their late start, firefighters rushed up the 300 steps to the attic, only to be forced to retreat. Finally, a small group was sent directly into the flames in a desperate effort to save the cathedral.
What’s next: Bitter finger-pointing continues over who was responsible for allowing the blaze to rage unchecked for so long. The questions are at the heart of a long investigation by the French authorities.
If you have 6 minutes, this is worth it
‘The enemy kills us like sheep’
The nearly 18-year war in Afghanistan has taken a heavy toll on Afghan troops and police officers, 45,000 of whom have been killed in the past five years.
As the Taliban and the U.S. try to reach an agreement to withdraw Western troops, The Times talked to Afghan security forces, who spoke frankly about their leaders, the Taliban, the prospects for peace and the loss of comrades and loved ones.
Here’s what else is happening
Netflix: The streaming giant said it added just 2.7 million subscribers in the second quarter, far short of the 5 million investors had expected, and lost 130,000 domestic customers during the period. Its stock dived by as much as 11 percent after the markets closed.
Kevin Spacey: Prosecutors dropped a sexual assault charge against the actor who had been accused of fondling an 18-year-old man at a restaurant three years ago, abruptly bringing to an end one of the few criminal cases of the #MeToo era.
El Chapo: A judge sentenced the Mexican drug lord to life in a U.S. prison, ending the career of one of the world’s most notorious criminals. He was convicted last year of sending hundreds of tons of drugs to the U.S., murder and money laundering.
Myanmar: The country’s top generals have been barred from entering the U.S. for their roles in the atrocities carried out against Rohingya Muslims since 2017.
Iran: A British-Iranian woman who has been detained in Tehran since 2016, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, has been moved to a hospital psychiatric unit under the watch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, her family said. The move prompted fears that she was being pressured by the government.
Amazon: The European Commission opened an investigation into how the e-commerce giant collects and uses data from third-party vendors and whether their practices affect competition — the latest effort by European antitrust regulators to scrutinize technology giants.
Opioid: Total drug overdose deaths in the U.S. last year dipped slightly for the first time since 1990, according to government data, but experts are unsure if the reversal is the start of a trend. Deaths from prescription opioid painkillers declined, but fatal overdoses from other drugs, particularly fentanyl, continued to rise.
Sudan: The ruling military council and the pro-democracy movement formalized the broad outlines of a power-sharing deal announced this month.
Snapshot: Above,misters keeping visitors cool at the Phoenix Zoo in Phoenix, AZ, on Tuesday. A heat wave is expected to spread through two-thirds of the U.S. over the weekend, with temperatures hovering near 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in some places.
Poker: Hossein Ensan won the World Series in Las Vegas, and his age, 55, is of note. For more than a decade, 20-somethings have dominated the game.
From The Times: The Privacy Project, an initiative by our Opinion section to understand the benefits and costs of technology, has been underway for four months. Here’s what we’ve learned so far.
What we’re reading: This National Geographic presentation. Michael Roston, an editor in the science department, writes: “Our solar system has so many remarkable moons. This interactive atlas full of spinning orbs lets you enjoy their fascinating diversity all in one place.”
Now, a break from the news
Cook: There are few things better than a dinner of crisp, pan-roasted fish.
Listen: “It Don’t Hinder Me” is a convincing Southern-rock stomper from Angelica Garcia, who has a ferociously quavering voice, our critic writes.
Watch: The children’s show “Molly of Denali,” some of which can be streamed online, is one of the first to feature a Native American lead. The creative team includes dozens of Alaska Native, First Nations and Indigenous writers and advisers.
Go: “A Call To Action,” an exhibition of works by Mr., a 49-year-old Japanese visual artist, was inspired by the manga and anime traditions curated by the American singer, producer and entrepreneur Pharrell. It just opened at the Asia-focused Guimet Museum in Paris.
Smarter Living: It’s tough to be an introvert in a world that equates leadership and ambition with extroversion. But there are ways to create success on your own terms. Know your limits and create boundaries that ensure that you aren’t constantly forced to test them. And when questioned at a meeting, don’t be afraid to say, “I need to think that over. Can I get back to you?”
And we tell you what to expect from a meal-planning service.
And now for the Back Story on …
‘For space men and earth families’
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing on Saturday, The Times has been revisiting Apollo 11 and its impact on history, science and culture.
But we haven’t mentioned Tang, the powdered orange drink that John Glenn and the astronauts who followed him took into space (in vacuum-sealed pouches) starting in 1962, on the Friendship and Gemini missions.
Contrary to popular belief, NASA did not invent Tang.
The credit — or blame — goes to a General Foods scientist, William Mitchell, who created the concoction in 1957 (a master of over-the-top sweetness, he also invented Cool Whip and Pop Rocks).
But the company sure seized on the NASA connection in its marketing.
Years later, Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, finally confessed: “Tang sucks.”
The product is still around. Mondelez, the snack company based in Deerfield, Ill., owns Tang, and its popularity in South America helped make it a billion-dollar brand. It comes in a variety of flavors besides orange, including guyabano and pomelo.
That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.
— Alisha
Thank you To Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford for the break from the news. Victoria Shannon 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 U.S. Justice Department’s decision not to seek charges in the 2014 death of Eric Garner, which helped galvanize the Black Lives Matter movement. • Here’s our Mini Crossword, and a clue: Kind of journalism for Hunter S. Thompson (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • Over the last three years, the Opinion section of The New York Times has edited and published some 800 Spanish-language op-eds under the direction of Boris Muñoz, who has been recognizedfor outstanding coverage of the Americas. Leer en español.
Alisha Haridasani Gupta writes the Morning Briefing. @alisha__g
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Home » Analysis & Comment » Your Thursday Briefing
Your Thursday Briefing
Good morning.
We’re covering a health emergency in Congo, an investigation into the Notre-Dame fire and an unusual poker world champion.
Congo Ebola outbreak declared global health emergency
The yearlong Ebola epidemic, which has killed 1,676 people and infected 2,512, is the second-largest outbreak in history (after the one in West Africa in 2014 and 2015, which killed 11,310 people and infected 28,616 others).
The World Health Organization issued a global health emergency declaration on Wednesday, on the recommendation of an expert panel that had considered and rejected the move three times in recent months. The delay had drawn sharp criticism from public health specialists.
Significance: The W.H.O. reserves the declaration of a global emergency for outbreaks that pose a serious threat to public health and could spread to other countries. The order is meant to increase international attention and garner aid to help stop epidemics.
Urgency: The W.H.O. said it had received $49 million from international donors from February to July, only half the money it needs. Officials who have visited the region say supplies are running short, including protective gear for health workers, syringes and gloves.
Iran crisis raises uncertainties over prisoners
As tensions between Tehran and Washington have escalated in recent months, the fates of foreign prisoners held in Iran — which American officials believe are used as political pawns — have become increasingly complicated.
At least four American citizens are known to be held in Iran. A British-Iranian woman who has been detained in Tehran since 2016 was recently moved to a hospital psychiatric unit, her family said. And, most recently, a French-Iranian scholar was arrested without explanation, officials said on Monday.
For their part, Iranian officials have said that more than a dozen Iranians are being held by the U.S., often on charges of violating American sanctions.
What’s next? While each case is different, it’s unclear what might happen to the prisoners stuck in Iran’s opaque judiciary system. Their families say they receive dribs and drabs of information, if any at all, about their cases.
Pakistan arrests terrorist group leader
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the founder of the group behind the deadly 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India, is in custody. The question is for how long, since he has been arrested and released before.
Mr. Saeed is charged with financing terrorism following investigations into two charities that prosecutors said acted as fronts for Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group that he founded.
Context: Pakistan has long been criticized for sheltering wanted terrorists, and last year an international terrorism-financing watchdog threatened to blacklist the country if it didn’t crack down on militant groups and leaders — an outcome the new prime minister, Imran Khan, said the weakened economy “can’t afford.”
What’s next: Mr. Saeed’s arrest comes days before Mr. Khan is scheduled to meet with President Trump in Washington, when the prime minister will try to present a reformed image of Pakistan. The discussions will also likely touch on the ongoing Afghan peace negotiations.
How Notre-Dame was saved
It has been three months since a fire ravaged the more-than-850-year-old landmark in Paris. The Times conducted scores of interviews and reviewed hundreds of documents to reconstruct how it was saved.
What became clear was how close the cathedral — one of the world’s most recognizable buildings — came to collapsing, and how a small group of firefighters prevented it. Here are more takeaways from our investigation.
What happened: A guard who responded to the fire went to the wrong building and found nothing. By the time he and a fire security company employee realized the mistake, the fire had been burning for more than 30 minutes.
Fighting the fire: Disadvantaged by their late start, firefighters rushed up the 300 steps to the attic, only to be forced to retreat. Finally, a small group was sent directly into the flames in a desperate effort to save the cathedral.
What’s next: Bitter finger-pointing continues over who was responsible for allowing the blaze to rage unchecked for so long. The questions are at the heart of a long investigation by the French authorities.
If you have 6 minutes, this is worth it
‘The enemy kills us like sheep’
The nearly 18-year war in Afghanistan has taken a heavy toll on Afghan troops and police officers, 45,000 of whom have been killed in the past five years.
As the Taliban and the U.S. try to reach an agreement to withdraw Western troops, The Times talked to Afghan security forces, who spoke frankly about their leaders, the Taliban, the prospects for peace and the loss of comrades and loved ones.
Here’s what else is happening
Netflix: The streaming giant said it added just 2.7 million subscribers in the second quarter, far short of the 5 million investors had expected, and lost 130,000 domestic customers during the period. Its stock dived by as much as 11 percent after the markets closed.
Kevin Spacey: Prosecutors dropped a sexual assault charge against the actor who had been accused of fondling an 18-year-old man at a restaurant three years ago, abruptly bringing to an end one of the few criminal cases of the #MeToo era.
El Chapo: A judge sentenced the Mexican drug lord to life in a U.S. prison, ending the career of one of the world’s most notorious criminals. He was convicted last year of sending hundreds of tons of drugs to the U.S., murder and money laundering.
Myanmar: The country’s top generals have been barred from entering the U.S. for their roles in the atrocities carried out against Rohingya Muslims since 2017.
Iran: A British-Iranian woman who has been detained in Tehran since 2016, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, has been moved to a hospital psychiatric unit under the watch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, her family said. The move prompted fears that she was being pressured by the government.
Amazon: The European Commission opened an investigation into how the e-commerce giant collects and uses data from third-party vendors and whether their practices affect competition — the latest effort by European antitrust regulators to scrutinize technology giants.
Opioid: Total drug overdose deaths in the U.S. last year dipped slightly for the first time since 1990, according to government data, but experts are unsure if the reversal is the start of a trend. Deaths from prescription opioid painkillers declined, but fatal overdoses from other drugs, particularly fentanyl, continued to rise.
Sudan: The ruling military council and the pro-democracy movement formalized the broad outlines of a power-sharing deal announced this month.
Snapshot: Above, misters keeping visitors cool at the Phoenix Zoo in Phoenix, AZ, on Tuesday. A heat wave is expected to spread through two-thirds of the U.S. over the weekend, with temperatures hovering near 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in some places.
Poker: Hossein Ensan won the World Series in Las Vegas, and his age, 55, is of note. For more than a decade, 20-somethings have dominated the game.
From The Times: The Privacy Project, an initiative by our Opinion section to understand the benefits and costs of technology, has been underway for four months. Here’s what we’ve learned so far.
What we’re reading: This National Geographic presentation. Michael Roston, an editor in the science department, writes: “Our solar system has so many remarkable moons. This interactive atlas full of spinning orbs lets you enjoy their fascinating diversity all in one place.”
Now, a break from the news
Cook: There are few things better than a dinner of crisp, pan-roasted fish.
Listen: “It Don’t Hinder Me” is a convincing Southern-rock stomper from Angelica Garcia, who has a ferociously quavering voice, our critic writes.
Watch: The children’s show “Molly of Denali,” some of which can be streamed online, is one of the first to feature a Native American lead. The creative team includes dozens of Alaska Native, First Nations and Indigenous writers and advisers.
Go: “A Call To Action,” an exhibition of works by Mr., a 49-year-old Japanese visual artist, was inspired by the manga and anime traditions curated by the American singer, producer and entrepreneur Pharrell. It just opened at the Asia-focused Guimet Museum in Paris.
Smarter Living: It’s tough to be an introvert in a world that equates leadership and ambition with extroversion. But there are ways to create success on your own terms. Know your limits and create boundaries that ensure that you aren’t constantly forced to test them. And when questioned at a meeting, don’t be afraid to say, “I need to think that over. Can I get back to you?”
And we tell you what to expect from a meal-planning service.
And now for the Back Story on …
‘For space men and earth families’
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing on Saturday, The Times has been revisiting Apollo 11 and its impact on history, science and culture.
But we haven’t mentioned Tang, the powdered orange drink that John Glenn and the astronauts who followed him took into space (in vacuum-sealed pouches) starting in 1962, on the Friendship and Gemini missions.
Contrary to popular belief, NASA did not invent Tang.
The credit — or blame — goes to a General Foods scientist, William Mitchell, who created the concoction in 1957 (a master of over-the-top sweetness, he also invented Cool Whip and Pop Rocks).
But the company sure seized on the NASA connection in its marketing.
Years later, Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, finally confessed: “Tang sucks.”
The product is still around. Mondelez, the snack company based in Deerfield, Ill., owns Tang, and its popularity in South America helped make it a billion-dollar brand. It comes in a variety of flavors besides orange, including guyabano and pomelo.
That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.
— Alisha
Thank you
To Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford for the break from the news. Victoria Shannon 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 U.S. Justice Department’s decision not to seek charges in the 2014 death of Eric Garner, which helped galvanize the Black Lives Matter movement.
• Here’s our Mini Crossword, and a clue: Kind of journalism for Hunter S. Thompson (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here.
• Over the last three years, the Opinion section of The New York Times has edited and published some 800 Spanish-language op-eds under the direction of Boris Muñoz, who has been recognized for outstanding coverage of the Americas. Leer en español.
Alisha Haridasani Gupta writes the Morning Briefing. @alisha__g
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