Rebels Advance in Syria as Iran Steps Back

Syrian rebel groups fighting to depose President Bashar al-Assad pushed farther south today toward the major city of Homs. The government’s chief patron, Iran, moved to evacuate military commanders and other personnel after more than a decade of staunch support.

Those evacuated by Iran included top commanders of the powerful Quds Forces, according to Iranian and regional officials. Separately, a force led by Kurds and backed by the U.S. deployed in an eastern city previously held by al-Assad’s government. Taken together, the battlefield gains present the most serious challenge in years to the Syrian president’s power. Here’s a map of the movements in the war.

The rebels are led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group previously linked to Al Qaeda. Its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, said in an interview with The Times that his goal was to “liberate Syria from this oppressive regime.”

Judges rejected TikTok’s effort to avoid a U.S. ban

TikTok, a video app used by more than 170 million Americans, moved one step closer today to disappearing from the U.S. market. A panel of federal judges unanimously upheld a new law that requires the app’s Chinese owner to either sell TikTok to a non-Chinese owner by mid-January or face a nationwide ban in the U.S.

“This is definitely the most precarious TikTok’s future has ever been in the U.S.” my colleague Sapna Maheshwari, who reports on TikTok, told me.

TikTok, which has raised national security concerns among politicians because of its ties to China, has said a sale is impossible. The company argued that the law infringes on the First Amendment rights of American users. The judges disagreed.

“This ruling effectively means that TikTok’s main hope for survival in the United States is that the Supreme Court takes up this case,” Sapna said. “While Donald Trump has promised to save the app, the law is set to go into effect the day before his inauguration and it’s unclear how he could evade an act of Congress and whether he wants to risk much political capital on this given his hawkish stance on China.”

N.Y.P.D. said the shooting suspect may have left the city

New York’s police commissioner said today that the man who fatally shot a health insurance executive in Midtown Manhattan might have left the city. The authorities said they have video of the man taking a cab to an interstate bus station in Upper Manhattan and entering it on the day of the attack, but never exiting. Here’s the latest.

Investigators said they recovered DNA from a water bottle they believed had been discarded by the gunman. So far, there have been no arrests and the authorities have not established a motive.

In the business world, the killing set off safety fears among other executives.

Manslaughter charge against Daniel Penny was dismissed

The Manhattan judge overseeing the case of a man accused in the choking death of a mentally ill subway passenger last year dismissed the most serious charge against him this afternoon. The jury told the judge today that it could not unanimously agree whether the man, Daniel Penny, was guilty of manslaughter.

Now, the jurors will consider whether Penny should be convicted of criminally negligent homicide, which carries a lesser prison sentence, when they return to court next week.

More top news

• Politics: Donald Trump defended Pete Hegseth as a “fantastic” pick for defense secretary.

• Economy: The U.S. added 227,000 jobs, bouncing back in November after disruptions from storms and a major strike.

• Business: The E.U. and four South American countries agreed today to establish one of the largest trade zones in the world.

• Agriculture: The U.S. will start mandatory testing of the nation’s milk supply for bird flu, a measure that had previously been voluntary.

• South Korea: The head of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s own party came out in support of impeaching him. The National Assembly is set to vote on the issue tomorrow.

• Insurance: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield rolled back a policy change that would have denied anesthesia claims based on how long a procedure took.

• Pollution: Synagro, a company controlled by Goldman Sachs, poisoned farmland with its fertilizer. Now, it wants protection from lawsuits.

• Arctic: Canada said it would focus on building alliances, particularly with the U.S. in the northern region, citing growing interest by China and Russia.

• Sports: A baseball team offered 30 years of season tickets in exchange for a specific trading card.

TIME TO UNWIND

The story behind Notre-Dame’s miraculous rebirth

When Notre-Dame burned in 2019, the whole world seemed to stop and hold its breath. The cathedral was not just a beautiful monument, it had also been the gravitational center of Paris for centuries. President Emmanuel Macron’s promise to reopen it in five years was hard to believe. Its roof was gone; the whole building nearly collapsed.

Yet here we are. After five years, $900 million and the efforts of 2,000 laborers, Notre-Dame will reopen to the public this weekend. It’s a moment of national pride for a divided France, and a reminder to the whole world that calamities are surmountable.

Find a good listen this weekend

Great podcasts can be difficult to find without recommendations. Luckily, my colleague Reggie Ugwu did the hard work for us. He picked out the 10 best shows of the year, which include staggering investigations, entertaining chats and dives into history.

If you prefer audiobooks, check out our list of this year’s best, which blend exceptional writing with powerful vocal performances.

ONE LAST THING

The oldest known wild bird laid an egg

Researchers have been tracking an albatross named Wisdom since 1956, when she was 5 and Dwight Eisenhower was president. Her longevity has for decades amazed scientists, who expect birds like her to live closer to 30 years. Then, last week, she stunned them again by laying an egg at age 74.

If the egg hatches, Wisdom will become a mother for the 30th time or so. Albatrosses usually mate for life, but scientists say she has outlived at least three of her mates.

Have a marvelous weekend.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back on Monday. — Matthew

Brent Lewis was our photo editor today.

We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.