Your Monday Briefing

View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Monday, October 16, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( Europe Edition [Your Monday Briefing]( By PATRICK BOEHLER Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: Ahmad Al-Rubaye/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • Iraqi troops attacked [the Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk]( and its oil fields. The fighting escalated a standoff between the government in Baghdad and Iraqi Kurds, who seized the city after state forces fled an Islamic State assault in 2014. American officials called for calm in the standoff between forces that are otherwise allies in the American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State. _____ Herbert Neubauer/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • Elections in Austria [shifted the country’s politics further to the right.]( The 31-year-old foreign minister, Sebastian Kurz, of the traditionally conservative People’s Party emerged as the strongest political force after focusing his campaign on limiting immigration and strengthening the social welfare system. His most likely coalition partner appears to be the nationalist, populist Freedom Party, which finished second, according to [preliminary results](. _____ Ivan Alvarado/Reuters • Catalonia’s leader, Carles Puigdemont, is [expected today to clarify]( whether the region declared independence last Tuesday. Our correspondent recalled [that day’s confusion in this essay](. Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish prime minister, has[threatened]( to suspend the region’s autonomy should Mr. Puigdemont insist on a split. Mr. Puigdemont on Sunday [visited the grave]( of Lluís Companys, a Catalan leader who was imprisoned after declaring independence in 1934. Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, warned of setting [a precedent]( “If Catalonia is to become independent, other people will do the same.” _____ Yasin Akgul/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • The kiss above between Kadri Gursel, one of Turkey’s most prominent political prisoners, and his wife after his release from jail has become a symbol of freedom. Mr. Gursel still faces terrorism charges, which he denies. In an interview, he [described the widespread persecution]( that has silenced independent voices under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “I am very angry,” he said. Separately, our reporters looked at possible reasons [Mr. Erdogan has tried to interfere in a court case in New York]( about a conspiracy to help Iran skirt U.S. sanctions. Wiretap recordings suggest that three defendants discussed meeting with Mr. Erdogan and acting, as one puts it, on “the prime minister’s order.” _____ Vince Bucci/Invision, via Associated Press • Harvey Weinstein’s downward spiral continued. Hollywood’s de facto governing body, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, [voted to expel the movie mogul]( whose studios have won more than 80 Oscars. Here’s how [writers from the American r]( center reacted]( to the accusations of sexual misconduct against him. Woody Allen [warned against a “witch hunt atmosphere.”]( Tom Hanks, [in an interview]( was more critical of Mr. Weinstein. Much of the fashion industry [has remained silent](. Here’s how Mr. Weinstein [mobilized lawyers and publicists]( to make allegations of sexual assault by an Italian model in 2015 go away. Business Iain Gomez • Two of Britain’s wealthiest entrepreneurs — Jim Ratcliffe, above, and James Dyson — [are trying to make electric cars](. “If I was a big carmaker I would be worried about these guys,” [writes]( our European economics correspondent. • Millennial workers are [increasingly being asked]( to advise corporate leaders eager to understand market trends. • China outspends the entire European Union on research and development [but grapples with systemic scientific fraud](. • Here’s a snapshot of [global markets today]( and [the week ahead in business](. In the News Mohamed Abdiwahab/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • The death toll from twin truck bombings on Saturday in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, has risen to at least 270. Suspicion fell on the Shabab, a militant group that has been losing ground. [[The New York Times]( • In Ireland, schools are closed and outpatient hospital appointments have been canceled today as the [unusual Atlantic storm Ophelia]( nears the island. [[Irish Times]( • Iran, Russia and European leaders condemned President Trump’s [decision to disavow]( the Iran nuclear deal, saying that it reflected America’s growing isolation. [[The New York Times]( • Domestically, Mr. Trump’s language on Iran and other issues has not been matched by action, raising questions about whether his base will be satisfied by partial steps. [[The New York Times]( • North Korea’s hackers are no longer dismissed overseas. They are stealing millions and unleashing havoc. [[The New York Times]( • In Germany, the Social Democrats appeared likely to retain power in a state election in Lower Saxony in another setback for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives. [[The New York Times]( • Theresa May, the British prime minister, is headed for Brussels today to try to unlock a deadlock in “Brexit” negotiations. [[BBC]( • “The silence has been deafening.” That’s a victim commenting on the Church of England’s response to a child abuse scandal. [[The New York Times]( Smarter Living Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life. Michael Kraus for The New York Times • Recipe of the day: Honor meatless Mondays with [a spicy peanut stew](. • Stuck in a rut? Here are five tips to help you figure out [what to do with your life](. • Get moving. [Your brain will thank you](. Noteworthy Jared Soares for The New York Times • Our most-read story in Europe [today is a love story]( They met in a nightclub 12 years ago in Washington. He didn’t mention his royal background, and she wasn’t necessarily looking to meet her future husband. • In tennis news, [Roger Federer beat]( Rafael Nadal at the Shanghai Masters. Maria Sharapova [won her first WTA title]( in more than two years. • What does Facebook consider hate speech? [Take our quiz]( based on an internal training document and real-world examples. • Arabic words found on Viking funeral costumes [provide new insights]( into the influence of Islam in medieval Scandinavia. • Futurists envision kitchens [in which appliances talk to each other](. Here are [eight gadgets]( of the future. Back Story Social Press Association/Library of Congress, via Associated Press This month, the Trump administration [expanded health insurance exemptions for employers]( allowing them to deny women coverage for contraception. Margaret Sanger, who [opened the first birth control clinic]( in the U.S. on this day in 1916, might have had something to say about that. Sanger’s work was driven largely by her experience as a maternity nurse. Abortion was illegal in the U.S. at the time, and she frequently saw young women die after attempting abortions themselves. In 1914, Sanger fled to Europe to avoid a potential 45-year prison term for distributing information on birth control. The charges were later dropped. After her return to the U.S., she and one of her sisters opened the birth control clinic in Brooklyn, above, for which she served a month in jail. In the 1920s, she established the American Birth Control League, which later became the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Later in life, she was also instrumental in the development of the [birth control pill](. Sanger has been criticized over her [embrace of some principles of eugenics](. But she is also remembered as an advocate for low-income women, arguing that [access to contraceptive services]( through federal programs was especially crucial for them in retaining control over their reproductive lives. She died in 1966. Jennifer Jett contributed reporting. _____ Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings and updated online. This briefing was prepared for the European morning. [Browse past briefings here](. We also have briefings timed for the [Australian]( [Asian]( 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 [europebriefing@nytimes.com](mailto:europebriefing@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback%20(Europe)). ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW NYT [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nytimes]( Prefer a different send time? Sign up for the [Americas]( or [A]( and Australia]( editions. | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps for just $0.99. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Morning Briefing: Europe Edition newsletter. 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