Jerusalem, Winter Olympics, Yemen |
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[The New York Times](
[The New York Times](
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
[NYTimes.com »](
Asia Edition
[Your Wednesday Briefing](
By CHARLES MCDERMID
Good morning.
Hereâs what you need to know:
Oded Balilty/Associated Press
⢠President Trump told Mideast leaders he would [recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel]( a move that upends decades of U.S. policy, upsets peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians and risks igniting unrest.
It is Mr. Trumpâs riskiest decision in the world of Middle East diplomacy. Arab and European leaders, including President Emmanuel Macron of France, warned him against the move. For now, the U.S. Embassy will stay in Tel Aviv while logistics are worked out.
Conflicts over Jerusalem go back thousands of years â but several experts said the [current dispute is a distinctly 20th-century story](.
[D]( with the Trump administration]( is spreading among European diplomats, and Rex Tillerson, the U.S. secretary of state, received a chilly welcome in Brussels.
_____
⢠Robert Mueller, the special counsel, [subpoenaed records from Deutsche Bank]( in his investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
It is unclear what he is seeking, but the request signals an expansion of Mr. Muellerâs inquiry into the finances of President Trumpâs family.
Separately, a [bakerâs refusal to make a wedding cake]( for a gay couple on religious grounds has led to a major showdown at the Supreme Court.
_____
⢠More scandals and resignations over sexual harassment claims.
Representative [John Conyers Jr.]( who faces allegations that he sexually harassed former employees, said he will leave Congress immediately. Mr. Conyers is the longest-serving current member of the House and the longest-serving African-American in history.
Meanwhile, [women are debating]( how harsh punishments should be as a spectrum of misconduct cases are revealed. And a new Pew survey found most men and women believe they [are more different than alike](.
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Andrej Isakovic/Agence France-Presse â Getty Images
⢠No officials, no flag and no anthem. The[International Olympic Committee]( Russia from the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea over systematic doping.
Russian athletes can apply to compete wearing a neutral uniform, but the record books will forever show that Russia won zero medals. But could this unprecedented punishment hurt the [Winter Olympics more than it hurts Russia]( Above, Russiaâs delegation at the 2014 Sochi Games.
And our sports columnist examined [the Cold War-era clash between]( two presidents, Vladimir Putin of Russia and Thomas Bach of the I.O.C. â who answer to no one.
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Muhammed Muheisen/Associated Press
⢠âMore pain for Yemen.â
Thatâs one analystâs assessment of what lies ahead for the Arab worldâs poorest country after [the killing of Ali Abdullah Saleh]( the former president, above in 2011. His death on Monday ended the alliance between his loyalists and Houthi rebels who are fighting a Saudi-led coalition.
Mr. Salehâs son, once a powerful military commander, was reported to have emerged from enforced seclusion in the United Arab Emirates and [to have vowed to avenge his fatherâs death](.
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⢠China will be the[future of electric vehicles]( predicted William Ford Jr., the longtime chairman of the Ford Motor Company and the great-grandson of its founder. He said his company will introduce 15 electric vehicles in China by 2025.
Ford is far from alone. General Motors, Volkswagen, Daimler and other automakers have put big bets on Chinaâs electric car market in recent months.
Business
Rebecca Conway for The New York Times
⢠Google, which missed out on the rise of the internet in China, [is marshaling its best talent to avoid making that mistake in India](.
⢠Amazon [began operations in Australia]( in what could be a shake-up of the retail market.
⢠Cineworld, the British movie theater chain, will [acquire Regal Entertainment for $3.6 billion]( in a bid to take on AMC, which is owned by Dalian Wanda, the Chinese conglomerate.
⢠Starbucks opens [its biggest cafe in the world today in Shanghai](. At 30,000 square feet, itâs half the size of a soccer field.
⢠Most U.S. stocks [were lower](. Hereâs a snapshot of [global markets](.
In the News
Ventura County Fire Department, via European Pressphoto Agency
⢠An âout-of-controlâ wildfire in Southern California destroyed 150 structures, many of them homes, and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate. [[The New York Times](
⢠The top U.N. human rights official said Myanmarâs security forces may be guilty of genocide against the Rohingya minority. [[The New York Times](
⢠Airline crews reported seeing what appeared to be the North Korean missile launched last week. Experts said the risk to planes was low but real. [[The New York Times](
⢠The U.N.âs chief diplomat, Jeffrey Feltman, is in North Korea this week. Itâs the highest level U.N. visit since 2011. [[CNN](
⢠Russia declared Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to be âforeign agentsâ after the U.S. took similar steps against Russian outlets. [[The New York Times](
⢠A Spanish judge withdrew an arrest warrant against Carles Puigdemont, the Catalan leader who fled to Belgium. [[The New York Times](
⢠In Sydney, seven protesters were arrested outside a speech by Milo Yiannopoulos, the right-wing commentator who is touring Australia. [[ABC](
⢠The Irrawaddy dolphins of Southeast Asia and Australiaâs Western Ringtail possum were among the animals found to be closer to extinction in a new survey. [[A.P.](
Smarter Living
Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life.
Lilli Carre
⢠How to [train your mind to read](.
⢠Get the most [out of farmersâ markets]( at home and when you travel.
⢠Recipe of the day: Keep dinner simple, and make [sautéed chicken with Meyer lemon](.
Noteworthy
UIG, via Getty Images
⢠Itâs a complicated social life for [the South African dwarf mongoose]( above, especially when it struggles to fit in with a new group. You can see some of that process up close in the video embedded in our article.
⢠Hereâs the first installment of a [n]( weekly feature]( collecting reader tales from Australia.
⢠Finally, from the coastlines of Europe to remote Kodiak Island, Alaska, here are [five of our favorite travel stories from 2017]( to help you explore the world from your screen.
Back Story
Associated Press
Many Americans awoke last week to news that most Britons, several time zones ahead, had heard first: Prince Harry and his American girlfriend, Meghan Markle, [were engaged](.
But when [King Edward VIII gave up the throne]( on Dec. 10, 1936, to marry an American, England was seemingly the last to know.
The British news media largely blacked out coverage of Edwardâs yearslong affair with the American socialite Wallis Simpson, who by that December was divorcing her second husband. Pages were reportedly even [torn from the foreign magazines]( which were writing freely about the couple.
The average Briton was unprepared for the looming constitutional crisis when the [affair was publicly revealed]( after Parliament refused to allow the marriage.
As [The Times wrote]( âPublic in London is Bewildered.â
[In a changed world]( the royal family has struggled against the intrusive public eye, particularly in the marriage and divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and in [her tragic death](. But Harry and his brother, William, have tried [to establish a respectful relationship]( with the news media ([despite the odd warning](.
Ultimately, the news of [Harry and Ms. Markleâs engagement]( received a far warmer reception than that of his great-great-uncle.
Lori Moore contributed reporting.
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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. And our Australia bureau chief offers [a weekly letter]( adding analysis and conversations with readers. You can sign up for these and other Times newsletters [here](.
What would you like to see here? Contact us at [asiabriefing@nytimes.com](mailto:asiabriefing@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback%20(Asia)).
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