Your Friday Briefing

View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Friday, November 3, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( Europe Edition [Your Friday Briefing]( By PATRICK BOEHLER Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: Sandra Montanez/Getty Images • A Spanish judge [ordered prison without bail for eight former members of Catalonia’s regional government]( pending trial on charges including rebellion over their efforts to secede. In all, Spain’s attorney general is seeking to prosecute 20 Catalan separatists, including Carles Puigdemont, the deposed regional leader. Now in Belgium, he refused to join the others summoned to court in Madrid on Thursday. His lawyer told a Belgian television channel that a warrant had been issued for Mr. Puigdemont and four other Catalan politicians also in Belgium. There was no official confirmation in Madrid. (Above, a protest in Barcelona.) _____ Tom Brenner/The New York Times • President Trump [departs on his first trip to Asia]( today ready to face off against newly empowered Chinese and Japanese leaders but with little to offer to regional allies. Mr. Trump dropped his idea of sending Sayfullo Saipov, the suspect in the Manhattan truck attack, to the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, but again [called for him to be executed](. He dismissed the terrorism trial system, [known for swift, severe action]( as “a joke.” Writings that Mr. Saipov left at the scene of the attack [provide a window into his familiarity with the terminology of the Islamic State](. (His cry of “Allahu akbar” has conjured associations of terrorism that [stray far from the Arabic phrase’s original, well-intentioned meaning]( _____ Neil Hall/European Pressphoto Agency • The fallout from sexual harassment revelations continues. Gavin Williamson, above, [was named Britain’s defense secretary]( after his predecessor, Michael Fallon, resigned amid allegations about his past conduct. Several misconduct claims centered on Conservative Party lawmakers have shone a spotlight on what critics call a “locker-room culture.” Kevin Spacey, the Oscar-winning actor, [is said to be seeking treatment]( as reports emerged that the Old Vic theater in London, where he was the longtime artistic director, turned a blind eye to allegations of sexual misconduct. And [a defamation suit could give women]( who accused President Trump of sexual misconduct a chance to confront him again. _____ Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times • Sicily [votes for new leadership on Sunday](. Rampant joblessness, corruption and waves of African migration have made Italy’s poorest region a perfect testing ground for political themes, especially on the right, before national elections next year. Above, a rally for Nello Musumeci, the candidate endorsed by Silvio Berlusconi, the former prime minister, who is trying to lift his hopes of a political comeback. _____ Sumatran Orangutan Conservation • Science news: New research shows that there is a seventh great ape species, [the Tapanuli orangutan](. Scientists say it may be the most endangered, with only about 800 left in Indonesia. And research on mammoth fossils suggests that male pachyderms died in more “silly ways” than their female counterparts. “In many species, males tend to do somewhat stupid things,” [a biologist said](. Business Al Drago for The New York Times • In Washington, Republican lawmakers unveiled the most [sweeping rewrite of the tax code]( in decades, which could be a windfall for some corporations. The typical family would see a modest break, but [millions could experience tax increases](. Here are [six charts]( that explain it. • President Trump’s nominee to head the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, [is widely seen as a centrist and pragmatist]( who will stay [Janet Yellen’s course on monetary policy](. • Britain’s central bank [warned of rocky times to come]( as the country confronts the decision to leave the European Union. (One outside economist puts the odds for a recession at 50-50.) • The case of a Vietnamese businessman abducted in Germany, only to turn up in detention in Vietnam, [is complicating the prospects of that country’s free-trade deal with the European Union](. • Here’s a snapshot of [global markets](. In the News Ivor Prickett for The New York Times • Islamic State fighters executed at least 741 Iraqi civilians in Mosul, including women and children who had tried to flee, during the nine-month battle by government forces to retake the Iraqi city from the militant group, the United Nations said. [[The New York Times]( • Conditions are deteriorating for more than 600 men barricaded in Australia’s now-closed Manus Island detention center in Papua New Guinea. [[The New York Times]( • A purported hit list of Russian hacking targets included not only U.S. critics of the Kremlin, but also the pope’s representative in Ukraine and the punk band Pussy Riot. [[Associated Press]( • The centenary of the Balfour Declaration, the British note promising support for a Jewish state, was marked with tributes in London and Jerusalem, and tear gas in Bethlehem. [[The New York Times]( • The U.S. passports of those convicted of sex offenses against a child will soon bear a mark of their crimes. [[The New York Times]( • A con man pleaded guilty to fraud for having tried to collect financial assistance by falsely claiming that his family had died in the Grenfell Tower fire in London. [[The New York Times]( • For 11 long minutes, [@realDonaldTrump]( disappeared from Twitter. A rogue customer support worker had briefly deactivated the account on his or her last day on the job. [[The New York Times]( Smarter Living Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life. Heidi Younger • It’s possible to end your frustration and [fulfill your dreams](. Start by focusing on what you want, not just what you want to escape. • Think twice if your doctor suggests [using a stent to deal with cardiac pain](. • Recipe of the day: Double-down on flavor with [salmon in anchovy-garlic butter sauce](. Noteworthy Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times • In an interview, the British pop singer [Sam Smith discusses his new album]( and his dreams for the future: a husband, children, a pet pig named Kong or maybe Flo and a closet full of drag. • To say that our critic raved about [“Lady Bird,” the new comedy by the director and writer Greta Gerwig]( might be an understatement. • In Egypt, treasures are unlikely to be found in a newly [discovered hidden “void” within the Great Pyramid of Giza](. A scholar suggested such gaps were meant to reduce the building’s weight. • Glitter-painted tourists often day-trip to Formentera from Ibiza. But the Spanish island’s [pristine beaches and laid-back glamour]( warrant a much longer stay. Back Story Sandor Ujvari/European Pressphoto Agency Clocks fall back an hour in the U.S. and Canada on Sunday — after having done so last week in Europe — with the end of daylight saving time. Clocks in parts of Australia have moved, too, in the opposite direction. The reason for the shift is contentious and confusing. (It isn’t for farmers, as you may have learned in school.) Historians have traced the notion for daylight saving time to Benjamin Franklin, who realized he was sleeping through some daylight hours while visiting Paris in the 18th century. But the first idea to actually move the clock hands [came from William Willett]( who unsuccessfully proposed daylight saving time to the British Parliament in 1908. Germany, seeking cost savings during World War I, heard the idea and enacted it in 1915. Three weeks later, the British followed, and other world powers were close behind, including the U.S. in 1918. Despite the common belief that U.S. farmers supported the change, they were actually the strongest lobby against it because it disrupted their schedules, said David Prerau, the author of “Seize the Daylight.” “I don’t know how that ever became a myth, but it is the exact opposite,” he said. You can [find out more about daylight saving time here](. Daniel Victor 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? 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