Wednesday Briefing: Hamas will skip upcoming talks

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August 14, 2024

	By Justin Porter

Good morning. We’re covering dimming hopes for Gaza cease-fire talks and a report from Russian territory captured by Ukraine.

Plus, romantasy heartthrobs.

Protesters marched on Saturday for a cease-fire deal and to return Israeli hostages in Gaza. Amir Levy/Getty Images

Hamas won’t attend upcoming cease-fire talks

International mediators are heading to the Middle East for a high-stakes round of cease-fire negotiations scheduled for tomorrow. But Hamas will not take part in the talks because its leaders do not think Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has been negotiating in good faith, an official for the group said.

“Netanyahu is not interested in reaching an agreement that ends the aggression completely,” said Ahmad Abdul Hadi, who accused Netanyahu of wanting to prolong and even expand the war. Hamas’s decision did not appear to bode well for a breakthrough, but it did not mean the group had completely left the bargaining table.

Netanyahu rejected accusations that he is stonewalling and has consistently blamed the deadlock on Hamas. He said Israel will send delegates to the talks anyway. But Netanyahu has been less flexible in recent discussions, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times. In July, he privately added new, less flexible conditions to Israel’s cease-fire demands than those put forth in May. His own negotiators fear these stipulations created extra obstacles to a deal.

A destroyed Russian border post in the area now controlled by Ukrainian forces.  David Guttenfelder for The New York Times

On the ground after Ukraine’s incursion

Our Kyiv bureau chief, Andrew Kramer, and photographer David Guttenfelder visited a border crossing point in the Kursk region of Russia, one of the areas that Ukrainian forces invaded last week. The offensive is now heading into a second week, a remarkable turn in the war.

The now-obliterated border post, despite a few sandbagged gun emplacements, had clearly been unprepared for the tank and artillery assault.

Ukrainian armored vehicles rumbled by and the flow of men and weaponry carried on, days after Russian officials declared that the attack had been rebuffed. Read more about what the journalists saw.

Andrew also spoke to Ukrainians living in villages near the border with Russia and described “a sense of some payback.” He told The Headlines: “One Ukrainian woman who been evacuated from a border village was saying that it was time now for the Russians to feel what war is like.”

Context: Planned in secrecy, the incursion was a bold move to upend the war’s dynamics and put Moscow on the defensive. But the gambit could also leave Ukraine exposed.

🇺🇸 U.S. ELECTION 2024

The presidential election is less than 90 days away. This is what we’re watching.

Democrats hope that support for abortion rights will drive turnout in their favor. Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Abortion takes the stage in the U.S. election

Arizona voters will decide in November on a measure to establish a right to abortion in the state Constitution. The measure could strongly influence turnout in the battleground state, which is critical to the presidential election as well as control of the Senate.

Similar measures on abortion rights are already on the November ballot in six other states, but Nevada is the only other battleground state. Democrats are hoping the issue will give them an edge.

Background: Since Roe v. Wade, which established a right to abortion in the U.S. Constitution, was overturned, Democrats have leveraged unhappiness over its demise to make gains in elections. Young women in particular have shifted toward the party.

Here’s what else to know:

Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us and we’ll find the answers.

Stay up-to-date: Live coverage | Poll tracker | The “Run-Up” podcast | On Politics newsletter

Bryan Denton for The New York Times

Sports

Simone Biles, Rebecca Andrade and Jordan Chiles at the Paris GAmes. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Students direct traffic in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Atul Loke for The New York Times

The young student protesters who led an uprising against Bangladesh’s leader, Sheikh Hasina, are now cabinet ministers and traffic cops. They were surprised by what they achieved, and now it’s up to them to try to protect the spaces that have fallen into their hands, restore order and chart the future of the nation.

Lives lived: Rachael Lillis, who voiced the characters of Misty and Jessie in the 1990s “Pokémon” anime television series, died at 55.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times.

Kaitlin Brito

Some readers swoon for a 481-year age difference

Disappointed by swipe culture and, perhaps, reality, some readers pine for the much older male characters (seriously, think ancient) of romantasy novels, a subgenre that combines fantasy and romance.

The novels have garnered a huge fan base, and many of the male love interests are vampires, faeries, gods or angels. They can be centuries old internally, but externally, they’re always young-presenting and, well, hot.

But among fans, there has been a recurring point of debate: Is it acceptable for a 19-year-old to date a 500-year-old? Some say it’s not only acceptable — it’s also aspirational.

Yossy Arefi for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)

Cook: This macaroni salad is bright, acidic and herbaceous.

Game: Our culture reporter recommends three of the best video games of the summer.

Travel: Nicholas Kristof, the Opinion columnist, has advice for exploring the world.

Decorate: Wall tapestries aren’t just for gothic castles. They’re having a resurgence in the design world.

Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Justin

P.S. Ismaeel Naar is joining the Times’ Gulf bureau, helping us expand our coverage of the region.

We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.

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