Friday Briefing

Israel raids Al-Shifa for a second day

Two days into its search of the Al-Shifa Hospital complex in Gaza, the Israeli military offered video of weapons it said it had found there and what it described as a tunnel entrance. The images could not be independently verified and have not proved the existence of the sprawling Hamas base that the Israeli military said the hospital had concealed, and which Hamas and the hospital leadership have denied.

Since invading Gaza 20 days ago, Israel has presented Al-Shifa as a primary target, saying it sits atop a network of subterranean fortifications installed by Hamas. That claim has been central to Israel’s justification for the death toll in Gaza caused by its military campaign, which has killed more than 11,000 people, according to Gazan health officials.

The ability of Israel to prove its claim could determine whether its foreign allies continue to support the country’s military response to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel. White House officials have said they believe, based on intelligence gathered independently of Israeli sources, that Hamas has used the hospital as a base.

Hostages: Israel’s military also said that it found, in a structure adjacent to the hospital, the body of a person Hamas abducted during its attack last month.

In other news from the war:

• The U.N. Security Council called on Wednesday for immediate, dayslong pauses in the fighting to allow more aid to reach civilians. The U.S. — a key Israeli ally — abstained from voting on the resolution, allowing it to pass.

• President Biden said that he and his aides had been negotiating with Arab nations on next steps, and that the endpoint of the conflict needed to be a “real” Palestinian state.

• Dozens of lawmakers in Britain’s main opposition Labour Party rebelled over its policy on Gaza by voting in favor of a motion calling for an immediate cease-fire.

• A man was arrested and expected to be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a 69-year-old Jewish protester during demonstrations in California.

Sánchez secures a second term

After months of haggling, Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish progressive leader, won a second term as prime minister after a polarizing agreement granting amnesty to Catalan separatists gave him enough support in Parliament to govern a divided Spain with a fragile coalition.

With 179 votes, barely more than the 176 required to govern, Sánchez, who has been prime minister since 2018, won a chance to extend the progressive agenda, economic policies and pro-E.U. attitude of his Socialist Party. It came in second in July’s inconclusive vote, in which no party secured enough support to govern alone.

Sánchez’s proposed amnesties have breathed new life into a secession issue that last emerged in 2017, when separatists held an illegal referendum over independence in the prosperous northeastern region of Catalonia.

More atrocities in Darfur

Seven months into Sudan’s disastrous civil war, a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, has scored a succession of sweeping victories over Sudan’s regular military in recent weeks, bringing new horrors to the restive region of Darfur.

After capturing three of Darfur’s five state capitals, including El Geneina on Nov. 4, the group is on the verge of seizing the entire region, according to residents, analysts and U.N. officials. Read more about the conflict.

Details: Earlier this month, more than 800 people were killed as R.S.F. and allied Arab fighters overran the army garrison in El Geneina, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

THE LATEST NEWS

Around the World

• Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, President Biden said that the U.S. had “real differences” with China, but that the countries had agreed to improve communication.

• David Cameron, in his new role as Britain’s foreign secretary, vowed on a surprise visit to Ukraine that his country would maintain military support for Kyiv “however long it takes.”

• About 100 Ukrainians a day are fleeing into Ukraine from Russia-occupied territories, bringing tales of repression and fear.

• Finland said it was closing part of its border with Russia, blaming Moscow for a sharp increase in migrant crossings.

• A jury in Canada found a 22-year-old man guilty of murder for hurtling his pickup truck toward a Muslim family out for an evening walk.

From the U.S.

• The music mogul Sean Combs was sued in federal court by the singer Cassie, his former romantic partner, who accused him of rape and of repeated physical abuse over about a decade.

• Representative George Santos said he would not seek re-election after an ethics report found evidence that he used campaign funds for spas, Botox and other personal purposes.

• A federal jury convicted a man who tried to kidnap Nancy Pelosi and attacked her husband with a hammer after breaking into their home last year.

• A man exonerated in the murder of Malcolm X sued the U.S., a case that could pry open secrets about the assassination.

What Else Is Happening

• Cryptocurrency prices are surging, driven by the possible regulatory approval of an exchange traded fund linked directly to Bitcoin.

• Regulators in Britain approved a treatment derived from CRISPR, the revolutionary gene-editing method, as a cure for sickle-cell disease.

• A fire at the offices of a coal company in northern China killed at least 26 people.

• Forty workers have been trapped in a Himalayan road tunnel for four days, subsisting on food and water sent through a pipe.

A Morning Read

In the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, war may be over — but moving on isn’t so simple.

“Thirty-one years of my life have been destroyed,” said one Azerbaijani man, who was forced to flee three decades earlier. “When we left this house, we had nine people in our family. Now, only my sister and I came back.”

SPORTS NEWS

Why a soccer star’s father was kidnapped: The abduction of Premier League player Luis Diaz’s father, as told by his family.

A soccer prodigy looks to the world stage: Roony Bardghji downed Manchester United, but his ambitions extend far beyond that.

The Las Vegas GP’s opening ceremony: Formula 1 will be hoping the race is smoother than the excessive opening fanfare.

Ultramarathon controversy: The runner Joasia Zakrzewski, who got a lift in a car for part of a 50-mile race, has been banned for a year from competing or coaching in Britain.

ARTS AND IDEAS

The African artists driving a cultural renaissance

The Times spoke with 12 leading creators from Africa and the diaspora as far afield as Asia, Europe and the U.S. They include a two-time Oscar winner and first-time filmmakers, a Michelin star chef and a best-selling author, a fashion designer and an architect, a visual artist and a pop star. For them, Africa is the motherland and the source.

“I don’t separate the Black diaspora from the Blacks on the continent,” the writer Nnedi Okorafor said. “I speak about Blacks, globally, collectively. For many years, that was my personal definition of the Black diaspora: every Black person on the planet.”

Related: “Africa & Byzantium,” a new exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a treasure-chest of fragile and resplendent things including textiles, mosaics and painted books.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Cook: Bake Brie into a caramelized vegetable pie.

Travel: Spend 36 hours in Acadiana, La.

Gift: What style editors are eyeing for friends and family this holiday season.

Eat: Plant-based foods are linked to a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today’s Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here.

That’s it for today’s briefing. Have a great weekend. — Natasha

P.S. Will Shortz, the New York Times Crossword editor, talks about life as a “professional puzzle maker.”

You can reach Natasha and the team at [email protected].