The U.S. Charged an Indian Man in a Plot to Kill a Sikh Activist
Federal prosecutors accused an Indian national today of attempting to kill a Sikh separatist in New York City. The indictment says the plan was linked to the June assassination of a separatist in Canada, allegations that could complicate relations between Washington, Ottawa and New Delhi.
The hit in the U.S. was planned by an Indian government official who told the man tapped to carry it out, Nikhil Gupta, that there was a target in New York and another in California, according to prosecutors. “We have so many targets,” the official told him.
Prosecutors said that Gupta hired a hit man to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S. citizen and outspoken proponent of independence for the Indian state of Punjab. The supposed hit man, however, was an undercover officer, prosecutors said.
Negotiators race to extend Gaza truce, as stories of hostages emerge
Mediators from Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt met today with Israeli officials in Qatar in an effort to lock in another extension of the cease-fire in Gaza before the current truce expires tomorrow morning.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. favored another short-term truce because it would allow for the release of more Israeli hostages and the delivery of more aid to Gaza. Other officials went further, saying they hoped the pauses could lead to negotiations to end the war. But Israel says it will not end its military campaign until Hamas is destroyed.
Within Israel, many citizens remain focused on the safe return of the hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attacks. An additional group of 16 hostages was released today.
My colleague, Katie Rosman, has been covering the families of the Israeli hostages, and she spoke with the aunt of Avigail Idan, a child who was abducted after seeing her parents brutally killed.
“She was kidnapped with a family who lived in her neighborhood, a mother and her three children,” Katie said. “They were given one pita a day for the five of them to share. They were not provided with showers in the 50 days that they were captive.”
Avigail, who turned 4 while in captivity, was released on Sunday with much of her hair cut off. “The family is not sure who cut it off, but the reason was, she had a really terrible case of lice,” Katie said.
Katie said that the families she spoke with were experiencing relief that some of the kidnapped were home, and also immense emotional pain. Some wanted to share the stories of their relatives “as best they could, with as many details as they could,” Katie said. “But there are a lot of families who do not want to talk about what happened in captivity, in some cases out of concern that it could endanger those still held hostage, and in other cases because the trauma is too fresh to be shared.”
U.S. life expectancy crept up but remained below 2019 levels
Life expectancy in the U.S. rose last year to 77.5 years, from 76.4 years in 2021, as the threat of Covid receded, according to new C.D.C. data. The rise represents a slow and partial recovery for the country, which tallied more than 1.1 million Covid deaths and lost 2.4 years in life expectancy between 2019 and 2021. In 2019, before the pandemic, life expectancy at birth was 78.8.
The U.S. lags behind many other wealthy nations, both for how many years of life expectancy it lost during the pandemic and how slowly it has recovered.
More top news
The best TV shows of 2023
Hollywood was in disarray this year: The writers’ and actors’ strikes stopped productions, and some networks, facing pressures to optimize profit, decided to cut back. But there were still plenty of great shows on television, and today our critics released their lists of the top 10.
Mike Hale highlighted the best international shows of 2023, several of which you probably missed, while Margaret Lyons lamented the best shows that ended this year. James Poniewozik took the broadest view, listing the top shows overall.
“I never rank my lists in order, because art isn’t math,” James told me. “But there’s usually a first among equals for me, and this year that’s the transcendent second season of ‘The Bear,’ FX’s restaurant dramedy.” But start with the first season, James said. “Appetizer before entree!”
Don’t be afraid of the iPhone’s NameDrop feature
Police in New Jersey, California and elsewhere have issued warnings in recent days about NameDrop, a new iPhone feature that allows users to wirelessly exchange contact information. They say that scammers or thieves could exploit the feature to harvest a user’s personal information. But tech experts say the fears are overblown, if not entirely unfounded. Here’s what you need to know.
She’s still ‘Rockin’’ 65 years later
When Brenda Lee was 13 years old, in 1958, she walked into a Nashville studio and recorded “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” — a song that, to her surprise, became one of the biggest Christmas hits of all time. Her career flourished over the following decades, but the holiday tune has remained her signature song.
Now, thanks to streaming, back-catalog Christmas music has become more lucrative than ever. “Rockin’” has hit No. 2 on the December charts three years in a row. And for its 65th anniversary, Lee’s label is giving the song an extra push, including a new music video and even a TikTok account. “I think I’m making more now than I did when I was singing,” she said.
Have a festive evening.
Thanks for reading. Jillian Foley was our photo editor today. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew
We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.
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