Your Tuesday Briefing

Kim Jong-un, Catalonia, Bob Corker | View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Tuesday, October 10, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( Asia Edition [Your Tuesday Briefing]( By CHARLES MCDERMID Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: Damir Sagolj/Reuters • China and Russia called for restraint in the face of [President Trump’s hints of possible military action against North Korea]( and ahead of today’s anniversary of the North’s ruling Worker’s Party. [Kim Jong-un’s promotion of his younger sister, Kim Yo-jong]( above right, could guarantee dynastic continuity should he unexpectedly be unable to govern. He is believed to have three children, the eldest just 6 years old. [The South Korean novelist Han Kang]( says his country’s apparent calm masks a decades-old anxiety that is growing more intense by the day. _____ Branden Camp/Associated Press • President Trump’s feud [with an influential Republican senator, Bob Corker]( has infuriated some of his own allies, who see possible legislative doom for Mr. Trump’s entire agenda. The battle has also brought previously quiet Republican complaints of Mr. Trump’s instability into the open. His administration announced plans to [repeal President Barack Obama’s signature Clean Power Plan]( which will make it nearly impossible for the U.S. to fulfill its commitments under the Paris climate accord. _____ Bryan Denton for The New York Times • No recent Chinese leader has amassed as much power as Xi Jinping, and the Communist Party congress this month offers him the chance to try to further strengthen himself. And, like Mao, [Mr. Xi is using his personal biography]( to bolster his efforts. Political pilgrims by the hundreds visit the gritty village of Liangjiahe, in China’s barren northwest, to immerse in a carefully crafted tale of his years there. One historical display includes the picture of Mr. Xi as a young man, above. _____ Ozan Kose/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • A diplomatic standoff [between the U.S. and Turkey]( sent the lira tumbling more than 4 percent against the dollar on Asian markets. Following the arrest of a Turkish employee of the American Consulate in Istanbul, above, both declared they would stop processing of each other’s nonimmigrant visas, threatening to to curtail most travel between them. Turkey is pressing the U.S. to hand over Fethullah Gulen, a cleric living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. whom Ankara blames for a failed coup last year. _____ Francisco Seco/Associated Press • Europe is on edge as the Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, prepares to address the [region’s Parliament today, possibly to declare independence from Spain](. The French government said it would not recognize an independent Catalonia, and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany spoke to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy over the weekend to stress her support for Spain’s unity. _____ Jordan Strauss/Invision for Weinstein Company, via Associated Press • Public criticism of Harvey Weinstein has begun to emerge. Powerful actresses including Judi Dench, Glenn Close and[Meryl Streep joined an increasingly vocal group of Hollywood stars]( in condemning the movie mogul’s reported sexual harassment. Above, Ms. Streep with Mr. Weinstein in 2014. Most of American [TV’s late-night comedy shows have avoided the matter]( of his downfall, and the often caustic “Saturday Night Live” was criticized by conservatives who said that the show was covering up for a prominent liberal. Business Scott Olson/Getty Images • The Nobel Prize in economics went to [Richard Thaler of the University of Chicago for his work on behavioral economics](. He said he would try to spend the prize money “as irrationally as possible.” • The International Monetary Fund begins its [fall meetings in Washington]( facing an unusual situation: virtually every major developed and emerging economy is growing simultaneously. • G.M. bought [Strobe, a California-based company that specializes in laser-imaging technology]( geared toward the development of driverless vehicles. • Alibaba has taken automation to a new level: [live crabs in vending machines](. • U.S. stocks [were lower]( but bond markets were closed for Columbus Day. Here’s a snapshot of [global markets](. In the News Fred Dufour/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • A new surge of Rohingya Muslims hit Bangladesh, some bearing tales of bloody attacks by Buddhist mobs. About 519,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since Aug. 25. [[Reuters]( • Australia’s High Court begins three days of deliberation to decide the fate of seven parliamentarians with dual citizenship. [[SBS]( • An improved version of the vaccine against HPV, the virus that can cause cervical cancer, will be provided to to Australia’s 12- and 13-year-olds next year. [[ABC]( • The Philippines apologized to China for the “grievous but purely unintentional mistake” of printing Taiwan’s defense logo on a huge banner that was hung above Chinese ambassador during a weapons-handover ceremony. [[Associated Press]( • Campaigning officially begins for Japan’s Oct. 22 general election, meaning Gov. Yuriko Koike of Tokyo must declare today whether she is running. [[Bloomberg]( • A photographer spent months on assignment for The Times in Mosul, Iraq, documenting the battle to recapture the city from Islamic State militants and the aftermath. [[The New York Times]]( • A retired American software engineer runs a website on Chinese etymology that encompasses 100,000 ancient formats for nearly 9,000 characters. [[South China Morning Post]( • In Malaysia, a feng shui consultant won a $4.8 million lottery. He said he “sensed” his imminent good fortune and came by his lucky numbers by praying at a temple. [[Th]( Star]( Smarter Living Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life. Paul Rogers • Opioids aren’t the [only pain drugs]( to worry about. • Sustainable travel can be [budget friendly](. • Recipe of the day: For classic,[diner-style hamburgers]( smash the patties flat. Noteworthy Vincent Hecht • The new generation of [Japanese lodgings]( are neither the traditional ryokan inn nor Western hotel: They are restored samurai mansions, refit prehistorical huts or even Baja-esque beach camps. • The Vietnam War, wealth, want and violence against the self: Our reviewer finds all those themes — and time crumpled up like a piece of paper — in [“A Loving, Faithful Animal,” the Australian writer Josephine Rowe’s latest novel](. • Finally, we tracked how an invasion of [Burmese pythons into Everglades National Park in Florida]( decimated wildlife, setting off a chain of events that puts humans at risk from encephalitis. Back Story  The U.S. Supreme Court [heard arguments last week]( in a case that could reshape American politics: whether extreme political gerrymandering violates the Constitution. The practice of redrawing voting districts to gain political advantage is named after Elbridge Gerry, who as governor of Massachusetts [signed a bill in 1812]( creating a long, thin district designed to undermine Federalist candidates. An illustrator at a Boston dinner party is said to have [drawn a picture of the district]( that looked like a salamander, and a political term was born. Critics say the drawing of districts should be assigned to an independent or bipartisan commission, which [some states]( and Australia, Britain, Canada and most of Europe have already done. (One exception is France, where the constitutionality of a 2010 redistricting was [contested by lawmakers]( A [bill introduced in Congress this summer]( would create such a commission and would allow voters to rank lists of House candidates in order of preference instead of vote for only one. One obstacle in the fight against gerrymandering is [finding a way to measure it](. The Supreme Court’s ruling in the Wisconsin case could [invalidate maps in up to 20 other states]( as well as expose at least a dozen House districts to court challenges. Jennifer Jett contributed reporting. _____ Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings and updated online. Browse past briefings [here](. This briefing was prepared for the Asian morning. We also have briefings timed for the [Australian]( [European]( and [American]( mornings. You can sign up for these and other Times newsletters [here](. If photographs appear out of order, please download the updated New York Times app [from iTunes]( or [Google Play](. What would you like to see here? Contact us at [asiabriefing@nytimes.com](mailto:asiabriefing@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback%20(Asia)). ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW NYTimes [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nytimes]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Morning Briefing: Asia Edition newsletter. 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