Your Tuesday Briefing

Fighting continues in Sudan

Even hospitals were under threat in Sudan as two generals battled for control. More than 180 people have died since fighting erupted on Saturday. It is unclear who, if anyone, is in charge.

Hospitals, which are trying to treat the growing numbers of wounded people, have been attacked. One overwhelmed medical center was shelled. Paramilitary fighters then barged inside, ordered that patients be evacuated and took up positions, one doctor said.

My colleagues have used satellite imagery of Khartoum, the capital, to identify 20 planes that have been destroyed or badly damaged at the airport since the conflict erupted. The E.U.’s ambassador was assaulted in his home, though he was not injured. And even though millions of residents of the capital don’t have water or electricity, few are venturing out.

“Everyone is afraid,” said a 28-year-old who went out to try to charge his cellphone. “You can see it in their eyes. People are panicking.”

Scale: These photos and videos map the violence in Sudan, Africa’s third-largest country by area.

Context: The battles are the culmination of a long-brewing conflict between two generals, who together seized power in a coup in 2021. They have now turned against each other after rebuffing attempts to allow a transition to civilian rule.

Kremlin critic is sentenced

Vladimir Kara-Murza, an outspoken critic of the Kremlin, was convicted of treason in Russia. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison — which appears to be the longest sentence yet for any activist in the last year.

Kara-Murza, who has Russian and British citizenship, contributes to the opinion section of The Washington Post and had urged the U.S. to impose sanctions on Russian officials. His sentence is longer than those often given for murder in Russia and exceeds the time being served by Aleksei Navalny and others.

The verdict is the latest example of the Kremlin’s wartime repression 14 months after the invasion of Ukraine. Even though Russian verdicts are often foregone conclusions, especially for opponents of the Kremlin, the length of the prison term is bracing. It is a reminder that the Kremlin is willing to brand any domestic critics as enemies of the state.

Recent context: The sentencing comes three weeks after the American reporter Evan Gershkovich’s arrest on espionage charges. The U.S. ambassador to Russia met yesterday with Gershkovich. Ilya Yashin, an opposition leader, was sentenced to eight and a half years in December.

Background: Kara-Murza has long rankled the Kremlin and has survived what he has characterized as two state-sponsored attempts to poison him.

Other updates:

• NATO is becoming the war-fighting alliance it was during the Cold War.

• At least 15 people died in a Russian missile attack in eastern Ukraine, in one of the deadliest assaults on Ukrainian civilians this year.

Macron, still unyielding, expresses regret

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, expressed contrition for the first time yesterday that a consensus had not been reached on his pension plan. After months of conflict, he strained for reconciliation — but offered no concessions and few specific proposals.

In a 13-minute national address, Macron appealed for a new “national élan” based on “calm, unity, ambition and action” and appealed for 100 days of concerted action to establish a “new pact of life and work.” But his speech was defiant: Days earlier, he officially enacted the pension law.

Resistance continues. As he spoke, crowds banged pots and pans outside city halls in an effort to drown out his voice. Labor unions rejected an invitation to begin talks today. Instead, they are calling for protests on May 1 — Labor Day and a national holiday — and say they won’t speak to him until after that.

What’s next: Starting in September, the legal age when workers can start collecting a pension will increase by three months every year until it reaches 64 in 2030.

THE LATEST NEWS

Around the World

• Mathias Döpfner, the C.E.O. of Axel Springer, apologized for private comments in which he insulted East Germans and pushed for favorable coverage of a political party, the Free Democrats.

• China’s economy grew 4.5 percent in the first three months of 2023, a pickup from the end of last year, when it lifted “zero Covid” restrictions.

• Airbus and Air France were acquitted of manslaughter charges over the crash of a 2009 flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris that killed 228 people.

• A Chinese worker in Pakistan was arrested and imprisoned on blasphemy charges. The rare arrest of a foreigner under such charges could strain warming relations between the countries.

The Boston Marathon

• Evans Chebet, a 34-year-old Kenyan, won the men’s race for the second straight year, in 2 hours 5 minutes 54 seconds.

• Hellen Obiri, a 33-year-old Kenyan, finished first in the women’s race. She was competing in only her second marathon.

• The race marked a dark anniversary: 10 years ago, bombs near the finish line killed three and wounded hundreds.

U.S. News

• A white homeowner shot a Black teenager who had gone to the wrong house in Kansas City, Mo., to pick up his siblings. The teenager, Ralph Yarl, was critically injured. The 84-year-old homeowner was charged with felony assault.

• U.S. federal agents arrested two men in New York City on charges of conspiring to act as agents of China in connection with a secret police outpost in Chinatown.

• A Times investigation found that the Biden administration had ignored or missed signs that thousands of migrant children were working punishing jobs.

A Morning Read

There are more than 10 million abandoned homes across Japan, called akiya, a symptom of the country’s shrinking population. For some curious buyers who feel less tethered to cities, that has created an opportunity.

One Australian paid about $23,000 for a stately home just 45 minutes from Tokyo. “We would never have been able to afford a house of this quality and size if it wasn’t an akiya,” he said.

SPORTS NEWS FROM THE ATHLETIC

The soccer player who almost died crossing a ball: Alex Fletcher sustained brain damage and skull fractures after colliding with a wall behind the goal line.

The latest on Chelsea’s hunt for a new manager: The search is now down to a few names. Here’s what we know.

The fans who watch Mbappe and Messi together can’t find happiness: Another league title, stunning goals from two legends, yet the mood at P.S.G. is one of disgruntlement.

ARTS AND IDEAS

Rat tales

New York City has appointed its first-ever “rat czar,” who will oversee efforts to drive down the pest population. It seems that everyone in the city has rat horror stories — so we collected them.

They’re on subways and in the garbage. One man tried to save a rat from his dog. (The rat bit his finger, and he bled profusely.)

And, of course, there are toilet rats. One resident heard splashing while he was brushing his teeth, flushed and watched as a rat swam back down. He did not stay in that apartment much longer.

“But I still close the lid on the toilet,” he said. “Always.”

PLAY, WATCH, EAT

What to Cook

This chopped salad with jalapeño-ranch dressing is fresh, festive and delightfully excessive.

What to Read

A memoir by the French writer Vanessa Schneider contends that the film “Last Tango in Paris” exploited and hurt her cousin, its star.

What to Watch

“Renfield” is a light and cheery spin on Dracula.

How to Exercise

Kettlebells offer a low-impact, full-body workout.

Now Time to Play

Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Do in a hurry (four letters).

And here are today’s Wordle and the Spelling Bee.

You can find all our puzzles here.

That’s it for today’s briefing. I’ll be your guide for the rest of this week. — Amelia

P.S. Many golden retrievers gathered before the race to honor the recent death of the unofficial Boston Marathon dog.

The latest episode of “The Daily” is on China and Taiwan.

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