Good morning.
Here’s what you need to know:
• A somber anniversary.
Memorial services are being held across Asia today for the 230,000 people killed 10 years ago today, when a magnitude 9.1 earthquake set off a tsunami in the Indian Ocean.
Most of the victims were from Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and Indian Ocean islands. Ten million people were displaced.
• Service for slain police officer.
A wake will be held this afternoon for Rafael Ramos, one of the two New York police officers shot and killed last weekend in Brooklyn. His funeral is Saturday, and Vice President Joseph R. Biden plans to attend.
Their deaths have changed the dynamics of the protest movement over the killing of unarmed black men by the police.
• Ukraine peace talks break down.
High-level talks between Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists set for today, the first in months, were called off with no reason given.
A cease-fire that was declared in September has often been violated, and more than 4,700 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine since April.
• U.N. will cut its force in Darfur.
The U.N. is planning to shrink its peacekeeping presence in the Darfur region of Sudan, despite a surge in violence this year.
Separately, three peacekeepers and a civilian contractor from the African Union force in Somalia have been killed in an attack by Islamist gunmen that left five militants dead.
• More on U.S. spying.
The National Security Agency has released heavily redacted reports that detail its violations of Americans’ privacy after Sept. 11, 2001.
Forced by a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, the N.S.A. published 12 years of quarterly reports that were created for the President’s Intelligence Oversight Board.
• Court to try women for driving.
Two women in Saudi Arabia, detained for defying edicts prohibiting women from driving, have been referred to a court established to try terrorism cases.
• Christmas messages.
President Obama, on vacation in Hawaii, used a holiday visit to the troops to talk about the end of America’s longest war.
In his traditional address, Pope Francis emphasized the plight of children in areas of conflict.
MARKETS
• Wall Street stocks are rising. The Dow Jones industrial closed at a record high — 18,030.21 — on Wednesday.
Indexes in Europe and Asia are also up.
• Retailers are expected to report stronger sales, as the post-Christmas shopping rush begins today.
• The Sony Pictures film, “The Interview,” opened in more than 300 movie theaters in the U.S. to sold-out audiences.
• Microsoft’s Xbox Live and Sony’s PlayStation had user connection problems on Thursday. A hacker group claimed responsibility.
• With a crackdown on payday lenders, subprime borrowers are increasingly using auto title loans with high interest rates.
NOTEWORTHY
• Popular reads.
Héctor Tobar’s “Deep Down Dark” — about the 2010 mine collapse that trapped 33 workers beneath the Chilean desert for months — enters The Times’s hardcover nonfiction list at No. 15.
Get an early look at all our best-seller lists from the Sunday Book Review.
• Behind the scenes.
“Now That’s Funny!” takes viewers on set for shows including “The Mindy Project,” “Key and Peele,” “Modern Family” and “Parks and Recreation.” (8 p.m. Eastern, CBS)
Beginning at noon today, HBO Signature will have a marathon showing of the newly remastered “The Wire,” with one season a day through Dec. 30.
• Films galore.
Bradley Cooper plays a member of the Navy SEALs who served in Iraq in “American Sniper,” and Mark Wahlberg borrows money from a gangster in “The Gambler.”
Both movies opened Thursday, along with limited releases of “Selma” and “The Interview.”
And, of course, there’s Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken,” adapted from Laura Hillenbrand’s best seller.
• Women rule the chart.
Taylor Swift’s “1989” is back at No. 1, and Nicki Minaj’s “The Pinkprint” opened at No. 2 on Billboard’s latest album chart.
And a new batch of 14 unauthorized tracks from Madonna’s forthcoming album, “Rebel Heart,” has surfaced online.
• N.B.A. champions fall in rematch.
Russell Westbrook had 34 points and 11 assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder over the San Antonio Spurs, 114-106, on Thursday in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals.
And the Miami Heat defeated the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers, 101-91, in LeBron James’s first game back at his former home in South Florida.
• Tech tips.
Get ready for 2015 with apps that help you keep your resolutions.
We’ll also show you how to update an overloaded iPhone and avoid email tracking.
BACK STORY
Happy holiday!
No, that’s not a late greeting: Dec. 26 really is an official holiday of one kind or another in many countries.
In Britain, Canada and other Commonwealth nations, today is Boxing Day, a name that was inspired by boxes, not fighting.
Traditionally, it was a day to give a box of money or gifts to servants and the needy; now, it’s usually a day for shopping or sports events.
Germany, the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries are among those that celebrate Dec. 26 as the Second Day of Christmas — all that’s left of the original Twelve Days, once widely observed.
Italy and other countries with large Catholic populations observe today as the day of St. Stephen’s feast (when “Good King Wenceslas” looked out, as in the carol).
Today is also Slovenia’s Independence Day, South Africa calls it the Day of Goodwill, and parts of Ireland mark it as Wren’s Day.
And this year, it happens to be an unofficial holiday for Americans whose employers turned Christmas into a four-day weekend.
Next year, the party’s over. Dec. 26 is a Saturday.
Victoria Shannon contributed reporting.
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